Release (Adopted From Blizzaga Saga)
by RyoshiMorino
Summary: Being sent back in time to put things right changed a lot of things for the Hero of Time, especially his love life. But just when he thought his Hero days were over and he could live the life of a Knight, and hopefully win the affections of his Princess, he is pulled back into his fate as the Hero once more, and he doesn't go quietly.
1. Chapter 1

**_My first adopted story from Blizzaga Saga!_**

Chapter 1: Red Stains and Blue Balls

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><p>Blood covered his arms. Nothing unusual there. He supposed it had been seven years since his first kill, seven years since Princess Zelda sent him back to his childhood after he and the sages sealed Ganondorf.<p>

He never imagined that seven years down the line a fat man would be lecturing him.

As it was, however, a distended stomach shook up and down in front of him as Vance seethed with anger like a child throwing a fit. "Sir Link, this is highly inappropriate!" All the contempt for Link which the lord normally hid in front of others with kindly-worded insults was clearly visible on his face; Link had invaded his sanctuary, one of the few places in Hyrule Castle where the Hero of Time wasn't allowed.

For his part, Link was well aware of the numerous breaches in etiquette, but he hadn't wanted to provoke anyone. "It's an emergency, my lord. The beasts you sent me to slay claim that a larger force will attack Kakariko tomorrow to avenge them."

Several of the guests Lord Vance had been entertaining looked horrified by the news, but Vance himself was only further enraged. "You come barging into my private quarters covered in blood without permission—in the presence of women, no less—to tell me about something that will happen tomorrow?" he growled out, having trouble controlling his volume.

"Kakariko is a day's ride from here. Since you are in charge of maintaining eastern Hyrule's defense, I—"

"Let me tell you something, peasant." Though Link's blood boiled at being regarded so poorly, after seven years he knew better than to further agitate a noble. He stood at attention and patiently waited for the diatribe to end. "I am gracious enough to tolerate you at our meetings, but you will not under any circumstances intrude on me here! I will deal with this problem later. Now go!"

"But—"

"Now."

His arm shook in fury, but Link gathered enough willpower to nod and leave like a good little errand boy. Outside Vance's room, he resisted the urge to take his frustration out on the wall; Kakariko's protection was more important. With that in mind, he made his way toward one of the few people in the castle who took him seriously.

Princess Zelda, as expected, was in her garden, likely enjoying a break from tedious meetings that Link was glad slaying moblins had allowed him to avoid today. "Zelda," he whispered breathlessly, still tired from running through the halls with his urgent message.

"Sir Link!" She looked up in surprise, but her cool exterior was up the next moment. "What happened to you?"

"I'm okay. The blood isn't mine."

"I would still appreciate it if you bathed and changed clothes before your next visit."

"Moblins are attacking Kakariko tomorrow," he informed her, tired of the delays.

Instantly Zelda was more on edge. "Did you inform Lord Vance?"

"Yes. He brushed me off."

"I see. Thank you for your haste, hero. I will make sure he dispatches soldiers there immediately." He was relieved at her icy tone. It was good to know he wasn't the only one who couldn't stand that man sometimes. Zelda could be as stuffy and underhanded as anyone, but she still cared more about Hyrule's safety than the wounded pride of one of her advisers. "In the meantime, please rest."

He didn't miss the hidden message "and bathe" in the way she looked at him, so after a bath that did little to ease his worries, he and Zelda stood outside the door to the primary meeting room.

Meetings. Everything, every decision, always had to be formalized. Link forced down the urge to barge through the door and demand why soldiers had not already left. Sadly, his aggression would only make everything worse. He always had to rely on the princess to convince anyone of anything.

His thoughts stopped as he suddenly noticed she wore a different royal dress today. While nothing she wore was very revealing, this particular pink and white gown looked incredible on her, and those words spilled from his mouth before he was aware.

She did not blush or smile brightly at the compliment. Instead, she simply said "Thank you, Sir Link." His sour mood returned. In all these years, she never called him by just his name, even though he called her Zelda most of the time.

It didn't matter now, though, because suddenly he and she were sitting at the round table he loathed. "Loyal vassals to Hyrule," Princess Zelda began as usual, "before we begin with our scheduled business, something urgent has come up. Sir Link has informed me that a horde of moblins plan to attack Kakariko Village tomorrow. I expect you, Lord Vance, as head of defense in that area, to respond immediately."

"Yes, your highness." He said something to a young man attending him, and the boy left. "My messenger is on his way to tell the soldiers under my command to prepare for departure. I will speak with them in greater detail after this meeting has concluded."

"Thank you, my lord," she responded evenly.

Link hated the two-faced man. Though he was certainly glad the lord listened to Zelda, he was growing increasingly frustrated at how little anyone listened to him.

"For our next order of business, we must decide our next step in improving relations with the neighboring kingdoms. We are all in agreement to form an alliance with the Gerudo, even though they gave birth to the demon who tried to take over Hyrule seven years ago. Thus we must send an envoy to them soon. This situation is too delicate to send an ordinary messenger. Someone from this table must make the journey."

The council fell silent, and Link knew none of the snooty, physically inept men were eager to go somewhere as harsh as the Gerudo Desert. However, going would give him time away from the council, and he desperately needed to cool his head. "If it pleases your highness, I would go."

"I'm not sure that would be wise, Sir Link," Zelda informed him, frowning slightly. "You have many valuable skills, but you are also the least experienced person here in terms of diplomacy. Perhaps it would be better if someone else went."

"Begging your pardon, your highness, but perhaps Link is more suited to the task than you might realize. Like the Gerudo, he has a propensity toward…simpler ways of living." Link stifled his rage at Vance's thinly-veiled taunt. "And as a fellow warrior, he may be more likely to earn their respect and trust than anyone else."

"You make a convincing argument, Lord Vance. Very well. Sir Link, you are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

Link didn't pay much attention to the rest of the meeting, and soon he and Zelda stood alone outside her bedchamber. "Sleep well, Zelda."

"Good luck tomorrow, Sir Link," she responded without emotion. He knew she didn't want him to, but this was probably the last time he would see her for weeks. Embracing her, he kissed her on the cheek, and to his surprise she allowed him to hold her. Her soft, warm, beautiful body leaned against his, and he felt the heat from her beneath his thin breeches. Relaxing for the first time in far too long, he stroked her hair and hugged her more tightly. This was such a rare occurrence that he felt his member hardening, but their lower bodies were not pressed together, so she didn't notice. When he tried to kiss her lips, however, she pulled away.

"Good night, Sir Link," she said quickly, voice quivering the slightest bit, before entering her bedroom and closing the door. Stupefied, Link stood still in shock for a few moments before cursing silently to himself.

Several years ago he worked up the courage to tell her his feelings for her, and she told him she felt the same way about him. But in all the time since, she had never expressed any kind of affection for him—never allowed him to kiss her, never even called him by his name rather than his title—and now he stood helpless, his emotions and his groin begging for release that she would never give. He understood that as princess she had to be aloof from most people, but did she really have to keep him at arm's length even when no one was looking? For not the first time, he wondered if her supposed feelings for him were true.

His erection ached. It was always like this. He never even had time to masturbate when this happened because he was always so busy helping Hyrule, helping her. He would do anything and had done everything for her. As his dick stubbornly stayed up and made walking difficult, he thought angrily that he was glad for the opportunity to be away from her as well as the councilors, because he didn't know how much more of this he could take.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A New Journey Begins

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><p>A small sip of blue potion filled his stomach in place of a proper breakfast. On his long trips away from the castle to deal with monsters, Link was used to feeding himself this way since he could not waste time finding and preparing real food. The blue viscous concoction oozed slowly and torturously down his throat like a squirming ChuChu, and he forced down the urge to gag, knowing it was best to get used to this before leaving.<p>

Link did not say goodbye to anyone. Upon waking, he fastened his personal and trading supplies to his horse and quickly slipped away under cover of darkness, without words and without looking back. Out of sight, out of mind, he thought to himself, planning to take full advantage of the break from Hyrule so he could return in good spirits with the strength to endure anything in his never-ending quest to keep Hyrule safe.

After a full day of riding across the empty Hyrule Field, however, Link did not feel liberated from his troubles. If anything his frustration had boiled over, because as long as he was bound to Epona and could not vent his anger through physical exertion as he usually did, his thoughts were his only company.

He remembered the way his erection would not go away last night, the way he had to tuck it under his belt to hide his massive hard-on. He recalled Vance's round, sneering face and the complete lack of gratitude shown to him by anyone other than Zelda for completing his previous mission. The only thing he couldn't remember was how he had ever hoped that things would change. They had been the same since he started officially serving Hyrule. The only difference was that people had found better ways to mock and belittle him, and that the princess's efforts to deny him affection were having increasingly unbearable effects on him.

Sex was all his fellow knights ever talked about, and though he didn't wish to brag about sexual exploits, he did wish to at least experience a few. He couldn't fault Zelda for not wanting to give up her virginity before she married, but would it kill her to share a simple kiss with him?

Was he a bad person for thinking these things? Sighing, he pulled Epona's reigns and led her to a small stream. "Drink up, girl," he whispered. "This is the last stream we'll see before we get to the desert."

Of course, she didn't need his encouragement, and he watched her lap greedily from the creek. When she lifted her head back up, he decided not to get back onto her right away and lightly brushed her with his fingers. "Do you think I'm living a lie?" Predictably, she did not answer, but he did not need her too. Of every person and animal, Epona was the only one he could be comfortable being around constantly. Not even Zelda had that esteem. And sometimes, like right now as she stopped shifting her head, he swore she was actually listening to him. "Is there anything between me and her, or have I just been wasting my time?" Someone told him once that one's teenage years were supposed to be the best time of his life, but looking back at his eighteen years, he found he couldn't agree. "Maybe things would have been better if I had tried my luck with another girl."

He often used Lon Lon Ranch as a resting spot between destinations when he traveled across the kingdom, and the young woman who lived there was one of the few people he liked being around. Malon was beautiful and kind and full of energy, and he suspected that she liked him. Sometimes he thought she was flirting with him, like when she smiled a little too easily at him or pretended to bump into him or drew attention to her chest by putting her arms behind her head, but he could not know for certain due to his inexperience in such matters. Though he enjoyed her company and found her attractive, he wasn't sure if he liked Malon in that way. But he had to admit that he didn't mind when she invited him to look at her chest, if that was indeed what she did, because it was quite big. Her clothes didn't show off much more skin than Zelda's did, but they were thinner to allow for greater comfort when working outside, and when she ran, when her long red hair and her brooch bounced in joy as she laughed, her shirt allowed him to see every movement her breasts made…

Waking from his daydream with a start, he felt embarrassed even though no one was around, and experiencing a sudden need to purify himself, he washed his face in the stream before remounting Epona and leaving.

Several more hours passed, and he wished a monster would ambush him or something to take his mind of troubling thoughts before he reached the desert; he did not want to attempt his mission while he was wondering how Zelda and Malon would look naked.

As if by design, the sounds of a struggle reached his long Hylian ears: grunts, weapons colliding, and deep-throated gargles of pain urged him to speed up. Though a moment ago he thought he would be relieved by this, the knowledge that someone other than him was being attacked horrified him, and spurring Epona into action, he galloped across the last stretch before Gerudo Valley.

The grass had long since vanished. Epona kicked up dust from the bare earth as she ran, but Link had no trouble seeing the struggle ahead. Four women, Gerudo, fought their way through a group of monsters, and Link realized that Kakariko wasn't the only place the moblins were targeting.

The Gerudo were heavily outnumbered, and one was on the ground, so Link wasted no time. His first arrow hit a creature's back, and though a quick glance was spared his way, the female warriors paid him little mind and used the distraction to cut their way through the aggressors. Scimitars clashed with spears, and two more arrows felled two more beasts. But there were too many, and the moblins were closing in on their pray too quickly. If he wanted to save them, he would have to be there with them.

As soon as Epona got close enough, he dismounted and cut clean through an arm with a yell of fury. He had to be faster. He couldn't let anyone here die. Brushing aside an incoming spear with his shield, he lashed out with his sword arm again, reaching for his unhappy place where all his battle skills and ferocity lay dormant.

Heads rolled. Blood stained his sword and the ground, and soon a mess of bodies was all that remained of the threat. As he calmed down, Link and the three conscious fighters stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. One of them was perhaps ten years older than him, but the others were much younger than Hyrule's knights, and he wondered why they were here instead of someone more experienced. They couldn't have been any older than him.

The adrenaline wore off, and he approached the fallen one with a bottle only to be stopped by the eldest. "What are you doing?" she asked harshly. "Who are you? We were waiting for an ambassador from your kingdom. Are you his messenger?"

"No. I am the ambassador. Here, this potion will heal her."

"You aren't dressed as a diplomat," she accused. "You arrived just after those things did. How do I know you are not somehow involved? For that matter, how do we know that's potion and not poison? Your royal family has never been fond of our kind."

He resisted the urge to remind her that he just saved their hides. "This is not the princess's design. I brewed it myself. If it doesn't work, feel free to hold me accountable." He spoke calmly and held the bottle out to her. "Pour what's left of it over her wounds."

Not hesitating despite her apparent suspicions, she snatched it forcefully from his hands before following his instructions.

"…Oni?"

Judging from how startled they were when he turned his eyes to them, the other two women obviously did not expect him to hear them whispering to each other, and they stopped. Link said nothing, though he wondered what the word meant. He was sure he'd heard that name before, but for the moment it escaped him. He was far more worried about why moblin activity had been so high lately. Dead eyes stared at him from the ground, and he couldn't help thinking of the other dead eyes that would have stared at him had he arrived any later.

"Abia, can you hear me?" the middle-aged one asked, and the girl in her arms groaned as her eyes opened before looking around in confusion.

"Yes, Samiyah."

Letting her stand on her own, the apparent leader, Samiyah, faced him again. "Thank you," she forced herself to say, though there was no gratitude in her voice. After regaining her bearings and rising to her feet, Abia glared at him, much to his surprise. She bared her teeth, but Samiyah spoke before she could get a word in. "You three go ahead and let our sisters know our guest has , Abia," she ordered, apparently not needing to turn around to see her subordinate's anger.

Abia and the two others obeyed. "She has a limp," Link observed.

"She will be fine."

"Even so, once we arrive I can make another potion for her if you'd like."

He could not tell if her expression was a glare or another look of suspicion. "We would appreciate that. What is your name?"

No "may I have the pleasure of knowing your name" or "honored to make your acquaintance". Despite her obvious hostility, he allowed himself a friendly smile at the absence of pointless pleasantries.

"Link," he answered, and she seemed not to take offense at his short, "curt" response.

"Let's catch up to the others." She eyed Epona as he began leading her by the reigns. "Your horse is very brave. It did not abandon you during the fight."

"She's the best." Epona snorted.

The others were nowhere in sight, and he marveled at how quickly they must have moved. Soon the fortress was visible in the distance, looking much the same as it had during his visit in the alternate timeline. Back then he'd had to sneak in and avoided sightseeing to keep from getting caught, but now he took time to really look at it: dry and barren like the rest of the desert, but beautiful in its own way.

His escort remained stiff and silent, but as more people came into view he noticed that everyone seemed to be looking at him. Each red-haired woman stopped whatever she was doing and stared when he walked within sight of her.

"Don't worry about them."

"The attention is a bit unnerving," he admitted.

"It will take them a day or two to get used to you. There hasn't been a man here since…"

"Ganondorf?"

She nodded. "That was seven years ago. And aside from him, most of the Gerudo have never seen a man. For many of us, this is going to be strange."

It looked like it would be strange for him too. But he wouldn't let a little awkwardness get in the way of enjoying himself. He had a feeling spending time with fighters would be a wonderful change from the nobles and the princess. A few friendly spars sounded like a great idea, provided the Gerudo were friendly enough to allow an outsider to participate in their training. His guide, though far from polite, did not seem to resent him for coming to their home, and he hoped the others were the same way.

A young woman perhaps about his age walked up to his group with barely concealed excitement. Her smile was as bright as the sun and her golden eyes shone as she asked, "Are you a prince?"

Caught off-guard, he stuttered. "No. I'm just a diplomat from Hyrule."

"You don't look like a diplomat. Diplomats are weak. You're obviously strong, so you must have some important position. If not a prince, are you the king?"

"Gelbooru, that's enough," Samiyah interrupted harshly. "He already told you what he is. Let's not make our relations with the Hylians any worse than they already are." Her eyes widened and she squeaked out an apology, running away before he could tell her it was all right.

She seemed nice: open and honest, unlike all the conniving and empty talk he was used to hearing in the court. And it was nice to be acknowledged for his strength for once. He had definitely made the right decision coming here.

But he could not ignore the whispers. Turning to Samiyah, he was reminded that the Gerudo did not have pointed ears, and since they were likely as ignorant of Hylians as Hylians were ignorant of them, they probably didn't know that his pointed ears gave him better hearing than theirs. Again the word "Oni" drifted to him over the wind, this time whispered by multiple people, and he pretended to focus only on the path ahead.

Link's instincts were never wrong. They had saved him countless time, and presently he sensed that something was not as it should have been. He didn't know whether that was good or bad, but he kept his guard up. He would be ready, no matter what happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Queen of the Gerudo

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><p>He suddenly felt the harshness of the sun on his pale face. Even the covered parts of his body suffered, for as his leggings constricted around his sweaty thighs, he understood the reason for the oversized pants the Gerudo wore. Awkwardly aware of the fabric sticking to the areas around his testicles, he resisted the urge to adjust himself and tried not to let his legs rub together when he walked.<p>

"Desert too hot for you?" Samiyah asked callously without turning to him. Despite being a decade his senior, she had no difficulty traversing her home terrain, and her red outfit was bold and strong. "You should take your gloves off."

"No thank you." He had no desire to reveal the mark on the back of his hand. The Gerudo knew Ganondorf invaded Hyrule to obtain the Triforce, so it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to assume that the guardian of one of the sacred triangles had something to do with his disappearance.

"If you insist. Still, you are dressed quite strangely." Her tone was not kind, and before he could lash back Link reminded himself that he was here as a diplomat. He had to forget how stressed he had been lately, for it would do no good to mock her outfit; though the bright top he mentally described as skimpy revealed her stomach and shoulders and made her breasts jut out from her brown skin, he knew that this was acceptable and likely tradition in the desert.

Inevitably but ever so slowly, the Gerudo Fortress ceased shimmering in the distance through the heat which rose from the sand in waves. The two unharmed soldiers from earlier waited for them when they at last arrived. Unlike Samiyah, they wore purple, which he guessed meant they ranked below her.

"These two will be your personal escorts for the duration of your visit."

Wordlessly he removed the sacks tied to Epona's saddle. She let her head drop as though breathing out a sigh of relief, and following a subtle tilt of his head from, she neighed in celebration before galloping away.

"You are releasing her?" Samiyah asked with a raised eyebrow while the others started after the fleeing animal.

"She'll come back when I need her. She's a smart horse."

She looked like she didn't quite believe him. The other two women, however, stared at him with even greater awe than they had when he saved them just an hour ago. "—just like him," he heard.

Tired of hearing the familiar name and not having a face to match it to, he turned on them. "Who is Oni?" he asked, wishing when they jumped in alarm that he possessed Vance's skills in subtlety.

The one who spoke glanced briefly at her commander as though asking what she should do. "Well, he's…someone we know, and you look a lot like him. Even your clothing is the same unusual style as his, right down to the hat."

"And your tunic is blue like his," the other added.

Samiyah glared at them. "He is not Oni. His name is Link, and we don't need you two spreading ridiculous rumors. The stares from others are already intimidating him."

Observing their reluctance to offer answers, Link lifted his luggage and signaled with his body that he was ready to go inside, but beneath the calm façade his mind worked furiously to recall anyone who looked enough like him to cause this identity crisis. The only people he knew of who wore hats like his were the Kokiri, and they couldn't leave the forest.

Nestled in a corner of the Gerudo Valley, the fortress of sandstone hid against the valley walls from the wind and sun, and he welcomed the shade. Before he could relax, however, Samiyah appeared alarmingly close as though to scrutinize him.

"You said you can make another potion for Abia?" He nodded, and her eyes narrowed. "Swordsman, archer, equestrian, and healer…why would Hyrule send such a capable person to a group of people they've wanted nothing to do with for seven years? Scouting for an invasion, perhaps?"

As he had been taught during his schooling as a knight, the hero kept a level head. "Though her highness wishes to improve relations with you, most of her servants are spoiled and soft and thus reluctant to enter your harsh domain. As an experienced traveler and warrior, I am uniquely suited to the task."

"Are there any other skills you possess?"

"I'm practiced at stealth." He couldn't help the small smirk that came at the memories of sneaking around the desert fortress. "And I know a few spells, though they won't be as effective in the desert and I hope I won't have to use them."

"You have no reason to fear us."

"It's not that. Moblins have been attacking various parts of Hyrule recently. I never imagined they would attack Gerudo as well. For creatures as cowardly as they are to spread themselves that thin across the land, they must be confident in whatever they have planned. It worries me."

She eyed him carefully. "Thank you for telling me your suspicions, and of your skill in sneaking. We will need to keep a close eye on you, you understand, but informing us of your abilities will go a long way in earning our trust."

At the end of a maze of twists and turns, they arrived at a large room he did not remember seeing on his journey in the alternate timeline. Bright torches, the source of the dim light that spilled into the hallways, lined the walls surrounding a bed that was easily big enough to hold three people. "You will sleep in the king's chambers."

Link froze, replaying the words in his head to make sure he'd heard correctly. "What?"

"It has been vacant for some time. Since we have no king now, feel free to use it as a guest room. As long as you are here, you will have all the privileges he had. If you like, you may rest here for now and I will have servants prepare a meal for you."

Link suddenly felt nauseous. This was the room where his most hated enemy grew up. The others didn't seem to notice, but a dark magical imprint stained the bedchambers. It reeked of hatred, and he could almost hear the wizard's evil laughter. "I appreciate the effort it must have taken to prepare this, but I'm here to better understand your people's needs. Don't give me any luxuries you wouldn't give the others here." While this still felt like a vacation to him, he would have worn his heat-resistant red tunic had he wanted to live luxuriously during his stay.

Predictably, Samiyah scoffed. "If we did that, you would not survive your stay here."

"I understand your concern, but I'll be fine. And…" Link was no fool. After spending so much time studying politics, he knew when people had an ulterior motive. "I know you're only keeping me here because it's the best place to keep an eye on someone, but Ganondorf's lingering presence makes me uncomfortable. He…frightened me once when I was young." It wasn't exactly a lie. "You have my consent to have as many guards as you'd like watch me. I will not mind."

"Very well. I will double the number of guards around you, and in exchange you can sleep where you like. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. Thank you for your understanding."

"I will have two more guards accompany you."

She sent one of her subordinates away, and soon Abia and Gelbooru joined the two other guards whose names he still didn't know. Not trusting his words, he nodded at Abia, but she huffed and turned away from him, raising her rather large nose into the air.

"Come on…" Gelbooru gently pleaded with her. "He's done nothing to you."

"Shut up, Gelbooru! When last I checked, you were not a real soldier, nor did you even have a mother!"

Gelbooru recoiled and looked to the ground in shame. Link noticed she did not wear purple like the other guards, but a plain white, which he assumed meant she was the lowest class of Gerudo. His fist clenched, and while he was forbidden from chastising or insulting anyone here, he knew of another way to irritate proud people. "How is your leg?" he asked kindly.

Abia briskly marched toward him until they were almost touching, wounded leg moving just as proficiently as the other. Slightly shorter than he, she glared up at him, obviously unaware that he wasn't easily frightened. "I don't need your help," she all but hissed, and deciding his job was done, he said nothing more on the matter.

But something was amiss: there was extra noise in the hallway, the sound of rushing air, and Gelbooru's widening eyes darted to something behind him. He pivoted in time to see a blade coming at his arm from behind. A curved knife at the end of a long pole swooped at him, but with practiced ease he knocked the blade aside with the gauntlet on his right wrist and, in the same motion, grabbed the pole and pulled it from his attacker's grasp.

All was still for a moment. The woman in front of Link looked mildly impressed, but Samiyah and her soldiers made no effort to mask their astonishment. "Shall I draw my sword?" he greeted emotionlessly, already reaching into his unhappy place in case the encounter turned uglier. "Or is this how you usually welcome people?" Link knew that if he fought, the others would fight on behalf of his attacker, and there was no way he could defeat six Gerudo warriors; but he was pissed off and tired of being pushed to the limits of his patience.

Like Samiyah, the new arrival wore red, but her appearance was considerably more elaborate. A yellow jewel decorated her forehead, complimented by the makeup above her eyes, the type of makeup women in Castle Town put on when they wanted something. Another gem much greater in size decorated her ponytail, much like the one Nabooru used to wear. "Nailah and Yumn, our local gossips…" She pointed to the guards, who grinned back sheepishly. "…told me that you rescued my sisters. I thought I might test your combat skills."

"You insult me by coming at me with a glaive, then. I can tell a polearm is not your weapon of choice."

"Correct. Long ago we used these to fight on horseback, but since we were forbidden from leaving Hyrule, we have lost the resources necessary for breeding horses. I was trying to remind myself of the stories my mother used to tell. My weapons of choice are twin scimitars. Samiyah, if you would hand me yours."

"Are you sure—"

"Quite sure," she purred as Link equipped a sword with his left hand and a Hylian shield with his right. "I want to see what he can do." In the dim light with the eye shadow, she attempted to give off an air of either amusement or seduction, a Gerudo tactic he was familiar with and prepared for.

Without instruction the others backed away from the duel. Once they were safely out of the way he rushed forward shield first and batted her left scimitar aside, but she blocked his sword with her right. In an attempt to keep his momentum and force her to retreat, he shoved with his shield again, but she was ready when he stabbed at her. Lifting her curved blades upward in an x-formation, she caught his strike and threw it upward, and he knew from experience that next she would slide the scimitars down the length of his sword to attack his hands.

But Link's greatest asset in battle was his footwork. Even as he pressed forward, he was ready to spring back at any moment, so when he saw her strike coming he reversed his direction and backflipped away. Unfortunately she wasted no time taking advantage of the shift in momentum and pursued him, instantly reversing the power dynamic. Link brought his shield up in time, but her motions were almost too fluid to follow. Every sword strike was a setup for the next as her body and blades curved with deadly grace, and it was all he could do just to defend himself.

Abruptly she stepped back and lowered her weapons. "That cannot be your weapon of choice either."

He grinned as he caught his breath, wondering exactly when he stopped being angry and started having fun. He could never do something like this with the princess. "No. I'm used to fighting multiple enemies like with the moblins earlier. This shield is good for that, but for one-on-one fights I prefer a two-handed longsword." For not the first time, he cursed the fact that he did not have the Biggoron's Sword in this timeline.

"Longsword…a weapon for hewing, slicing, and stabbing. Every aspect of it, from the double edge to the cross-guard to the pommel, is forged for offensive purposes. I have no doubt you would make a fierce opponent with one of those. We shall have to fight again when we are both at our best." She emphasized the word "fierce" with an odd inflection, and he wondered if it was supposed to mean something to him. She turned to the others. "I wish to speak with him alone. Yumn, Nailah, you may put out the torches and remove the food from the large room since our guest will not be staying there." Every other woman left, and Link wondered who she was to have such authority over even Samiyah, who the others seemed to fear. As if sensing his curiosity about her, the mysterious woman sauntered over to him, and he swallowed nervously at having his personal space invaded once more.

"Do not let Abia dishearten you. She is merely upset because she was rescued by a man; she thinks she has lost her honor and prowess. She cannot hate you, for though she will never admit it, she is attracted to power…as am I. I must say you are different from what I expected when Samiyah told me a noble was coming here. You seem to be so much more." She looked over him with an approving glint in her eye.

Link was used to being weighed and measured based on his appearance—at the castle, people almost always found fault with his attire no matter how he tried to look like he belonged there—but to be judged so overtly was unsettling. Now that the battle was over, Link was aware of things that weren't directly related to his survival: things like how close she was at the moment, how much thinner than Samiyah's her delicate face was, the unbearable amount of smooth skin he could see above her gold-laced belt, and how long her beautiful hair was, an attribute presumably reserved for Gerudo royalty. Link cursed his inexperience with the opposite sex briefly before realizing that all the experience in the world couldn't help him here: the Gerudo were in a league far above other women, and if they were anything like Nabooru, they were far less subtle about attraction. He abruptly remembered the Spirit Sage's last words to him. "If only I knew you would become such a handsome man... I should have kept the promise I made back then..."

"I heard your conversation earlier. If you want to live like a Gerudo while you're here, you should fetch water with the women in white. We will start negotiations tonight."

"Thank you," he replied quickly, eager for a distraction from the sexual tension.

"And one more thing."

He froze as she closed the distance between them even more. The light brown skin on her slim belly shone with a thin layer of sweat, and her chest seemed more pronounced than before, almost touching his like she was arching her back to show off. It moved up and down as she too caught her breath. Was she…flirting with him? He quickly shook the thought from his head. Despite Nabooru's words, he did not consider himself particularly handsome. He did not obsess over his appearance in the mirror as some men and women he knew did, and assuming he was good-looking would only detract from the humility he felt heroes needed.

"To hold your own against me for as long as you did is no mean feat. I used to think that all men, besides the great Ganondorf, were useless, but now that I've seen you, I don't think so anymore!" His eyes widened at the familiar words, and at last he realized her identity. "When next we fight, I will judge your performance, and if I deem you worthy I will give you a Gerudo Membership Card. With that you could come back whenever you wanted. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she asked, trailing a finger down his chest. He nodded dumbly. "I'm sure we have many uses for someone like you, so be sure to try your best. I am Aveil, ruler of the desert in the absence of our king. Please remember my name."

It took him a moment to realize she had left, but he didn't immediately follow. The hushed whispers of the soldiers in Ganondorf's room reached his long ears.

"So which do you think he is?"

"It would be amazing if he was Oni, but it will be up to Aveil to decide tonight at the treaty talks. If he is the other man as our reports seem to indicate, I hope we're not the ones tasked with throwing him in the dungeon."

"Or executing him."

"Yeah. He seems like a nice guy."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Divine Comedy

* * *

><p>"I already told you I don't need your help." With an unnecessary slap, Abia knocked the potion he had just brewed from his hand, and he fell to catch it before it could spill into the sand. Link stood again and put the bottle away wordlessly, too hot to stay angry but also wondering why he bothered being nice, for the ever-staring sun punished every deed good and bad the same.<p>

His steps were less sure than theirs in the dunes, and each step was hard and deliberate to keep him from falling against the Gerudo who, for whatever reason, chose to surround him. Two women walked on either side of him, closely enough that he felt like a criminal being escorted and that he saw each of their faces clearly: Yumn and Nailah stared ahead with disinterest, not bothering to watch him. Abia frowned and scrunched up her large nose, and Gelbooru smiled with suppressed laughter at her disgruntled expression.

"I still don't see why we have to help with the water today," Abia said distastefully. Her ponytail, longer than that of anyone else present, fell and bounced back up with each step like she was on a casual stroll, like there was nothing strenuous or unusual about walking through ever-shifting terrain. "This is the whites' job. I became a purple so I could do something more important."

"What's more important than providing water?" asked Link, genuinely confused and eager to quench his thirst.

She seemed to take offense at his remark as she had taken offense at every other thing he'd said or done today. "I am a soldier, not a servant. Why are you doing this, anyway? Why do you want to go out there and help?"

"Because being a warrior is about more than fighting," he replied instantly, and she furrowed her brow.

"What did Aveil want with you? Is she making you do this?"

"No. She told me she wanted to fight again later, when we each have our preferred weapons."

A mocking laugh. "She's going to beat your ass into the sand."

"Maybe," he said neutrally. Remembering the time of his arrival, he soothed his boiling brain with thoughts of the sun setting in just a few hours. But then he realized it would rise again tomorrow, and Link wondered whether he would rise with it or if the cycle of his life would end tonight.

Abia stopped and turned on him when he didn't say anything else, getting right in his face for not the first time. "Where do you get off, disrespecting our leader?" she nearly yelled. At the edge of Link's vision, Nailah and Yumn finally started paying attention, apparently deciding the confrontation was interesting enough to take in now and talk about later.

His aggressor drew a slim two-handed sword, but Link didn't move. He knew she was only trying to pick a fight, but despite his anger, he couldn't do anything to endanger his peaceful mission. "I meant no disrespect. I only meant that as a warrior, I will do my best to beat her."

"You're not a warrior."

A dozen scathing, sarcastic remarks came to mind, but he said nothing, and soon the group started moving again. Coming at last to a canyon that fell a good hundred feet beneath them, Link voiced the question that had been on his mind since he left the fortress. "Is this how you always collect water?"

"Why? Too high up for you, Hylian?" This was getting childish. Link ignored Abia and listened instead to Gelbooru.

"There are a few spots where oases are known to form. Usually we can live off of those, but when they are dried up we climb down to the river."

Far below the bridge that connected Hyrule Field to Gerudo Valley, the water that would eventually empty into Lake Hylia raged, crashing against cragged rocks. Link mused that falling in could be fatal. Nonetheless, several ropes tied to various anchors went over the edge, and after Yumn went first to show him what to do, he followed. A path of thin walkways and loose rocks led them down, so he only had to pull his rope when he felt he might fall, and after only a few close calls he made it to the more level ground at the water's edge.

He was astonished to find a myriad of people already there. Women in white garb dipped pots and other containers into the river. They were made of red clay which, judging from the color of the riverbed, came from here. To his relief, his four bodyguards dispersed to different parts of the bank, and everyone else seemed too busy to pay attention to him. The many strangers dipped their hands into the soothing streams, and guessing that each person was supposed to take care of him- or herself before working, Link took his hat off and let his long blond hair spill out. Though the others were remarkably reserved in their cleansing, Link didn't care about looking like a fool, so when splashing his face didn't bring enough relief he dunked his head underwater. Gasping before he even resurfaced, he reveled in the cool water dripping from his scalp, which felt like it had been burned even through his hair and hat.

He blushed when he opened his eyes; everyone in the vicinity stared blatantly at him. He must have looked like a freak to them: male, pale, blond, and blue-eyed. With humiliating dignity, he put his cap on and turned away to take another drink.

"I've never seen someone whose hair wasn't red before." To his alarm, Gelbooru was less than a foot away, and in his fright he almost fell into the river. She didn't back away and only stared at him with something resembling awe. But then she frowned. "I'm sorry about Abia."

"I understand. What confuses me is why she treats you poorly."

"You may have noticed that I don't wear what she, Yumn, and Nailah wear. Like everyone else here, I'm of a lower class than they are, so my full name is Gelbooru of the White."

She also had shorter hair than his other three bodyguards. Remembering how Aveil in turn had longer hair than those wearing purple, he assumed it was class-related. "I'm just Link. I have no rank or surname." Her eyes surveyed his every feature as though searching for something. He tried desperately not to let his eyes do the same, which was difficult considering the water she had splashed onto the cloth covering her breasts. "Um, so she looks down on you?"

"The whole village looks down on me. My mother ran off with a Hylian man shortly after I was born, so I've had trouble moving up in rank. I can't even get anyone to properly train me in weapon use."

It made sense: she did look less athletic than the other guides, slimmer and a bit less muscular with a more defined bust. Combined with her less than impressive height and smaller than average nose—a trait that surely came from her father—it made her look cute. He shook the thought. "I'm sorry to hear that. My parents are absent from my life as well, and I know what it's like to be judged for that. It's hard to become a knight when you don't have a well-known lineage. But in the end it doesn't make you less than anyone else. It won't keep you from becoming a fighter, if that's what you really want."

She smiled widely and her eyes shone with gratitude, and he wondered if this was the first genuine encouragement anyone had given her. No longer able to bear the attention, he started working.

Carrying water was hard, but carrying it up a cliff while holding a rope for safety was far more demanding. A group assisted him every step of the way and followed with their own jars to meet more Gerudo who sat in waiting at the top. Most were in their teens or twenties, but Link was horrified to find that a good number were older than women who had retired in Castle Town. They moved with great fatigue, resigned to their usual tasks. No young children were there to help or play or get their daily water supply.

They whispered "Oni" loudly as though he weren't there, but they stared at him like nothing else was. Once when he helped an elderly with her container, she said "Thank you, sis—" before freezing when she saw who helped her. Then her wrinkled mouth opened to reveal missing teeth and black gums, and she fell to the ground in prayer. "Forgive me for almost calling you sister."

Just as not everyone came from his age group, not everyone climbed the rocks as he did. Many more experienced women opted not to use a rope in order to better secure their loads.

"We have a woman down!" Abia yelled over the rapids, and Link looked at the old woman in her arms. Judging from the bruise on her side, she had taken a nasty fall, and while many aged people functioned normally in everyday life, he knew that sometimes minor injuries could be deadly for them because their bodies were so slow to heal.

"Lift her head up," he said, and when she obeyed, he poured his blue potion down the stranger's throat. Within moments her eyes shot open and looked around in wild confusion.

"Wh-where am I? How—" Then she saw him. "Am I dreaming, to be healed by you? Thank you, Oni. And thank you as well, Abia, for catching me when I fell." Abia set her down. They watched her walk off together, and when they were alone, Abia turned toward him.

"Thank you." It was surprisingly gentle, her first non-abrasive comment to him, and he simply nodded before returning to work, unsure how else to react.

Some time later, he and Gelbooru had finished pouring water over the onion plants in this most fertile part of the desert and began pulling weeds. On her hands and knees, Gelbooru worked at a stubborn root, her hanging bosoms jiggling with each pull. Link briefly wished the Gerudo's pants were as revealing as their tops so he could see that part of her too before severely reprimanding himself. Staying with so many women was bad for his spiritual health.

"What makes a man do something dangerous when he doesn't have to?" she asked when they stood to take a break.

"Huh?"

"Are men just reckless like that, or do you have a special reason for helping us with this? You don't know these paths like we do, yet you promised to climb the cliff over and over until everyone is gone. You could get hurt, and it would be completely pointless."

There was no insult or accusation in her tone, only curiosity, and Link smiled. He looked at the sun again and saw it was closer to setting. "Sometimes I'm happy when things are dangerous, because it reminds me that someone has to do them. It reminds me that there's a difference between what's right and what easy. I would rather die doing what's right than live a coward."

"…You know," she said at last. He nodded. "Link, I'm so sorry. I—"

"Your leader clearly has me confused with someone who has done something terrible, but I will not leave. It would only make it look like Hyrule was harboring a criminal, and that would only hurt relations between the Gerudo and Hylians. No, it's up to me to prove I'm here to help both our peoples." Galloping away on Epona without a backward glance and leaving negotiations to someone else was the safe and easy thing to do, but it wasn't the right thing to do. And that, he thought with finality, was the difference between courage and cowardice.

She gaped at him in wonder, and he smiled gently back, at peace with himself and his decision. Then she threw herself at him and pressed her lips to his. Link's eyes remained wide long after she quickly pulled back, his inner peace completely and irrevocably disturbed. Then she ran off, leaving him to dumbly stare ahead.

"I saw that!" a voice boomed happily behind him, and he turned without paying much attention to the woman who entered his vision. "What just happened?" Nailah gushed. "Tell me everything."

It took a moment for Link to process what was going on. That was his first kiss. Her essence lingered on his lips, and his heart beat quickly. "Um…" He physically shook his head. He could worry about it later. For now, he had a great opportunity to finally learn about the word everyone kept throwing around. "Aveil called you and Yumn the local gossips. If you answer a question for me, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Who is Oni? Be specific and give as much detail as you can; otherwise I'm not saying a word."

"Sure! He's brother to the goddesses, and like a brother he looks out for anyone who has suffered a great injustice or is too weak to defend themselves. He was once on equal esteem with Farore, Nayru, and Din before they unjustly exiled him from the heavens and cursed to live imprisoned in flesh on Earth, much as the Gerudo were exiled from Hyrule long ago and forced to live in the desert. Seeing his pain and his virtues, the goddess of the sand opened her bosom to him, and this sacred union between deities created the Gerudo race. From her we receive our indomitable spirit and immunity to the desert's harshness—hence the Spirit Temple dedicated to her in the most inhospitable part of the desert—and from him we receive the strength of body that makes us the fiercest warriors in the world." There was that word again—fierce—and Link remembered how Aveil had used it. Some message tried to break through his ignorance, but he couldn't quite grasp it. "Oni is a protector and a warrior, and it is said that every Gerudo male is a gift from him to help us through our misfortune. We cherish every one of Oni's blessings, and thus whenever a male is born into our race he becomes our king."

"I thought Gerudo considered all men worthless. I had no idea you held such reverence for any male deities."

"Not all men are worthless: just those not born from Oni's spirit."

Link smirked. "So just those who aren't Gerudo?"

She smirked back playfully. "Exactly. However, you are a curious case. Aveil isn't convinced you don't have Gerudo blood somewhere in you. Many here think you are Oni incarnate. That's why they act like it's a privilege just to be around you."

"I'm not a god," he refuted immediately. "Claiming such is folly."

"Your appearance and abilities bear an uncanny similarity to his. And it's worth noting that in one of our greatest times of need, one who resembles him has come to help. Anyway, I've told you what you want to know, so give me details: what happened?"

"She kissed me," he said simply before walking away.

"Huh? Hey! My explanation was way better than that!" She pursued him, but by this time everyone was leaving and he easily separated himself from her during the climb.

Abia waited for him at the top. "Come. It's time for tonight's meeting." The other three joined them and they left, Link once again at the center of the tight formation. The two gossips spoke conspiratorially in hushed tones while Gelbooru was quiet and withdrawn. He thought of saying something to her, but it would have to wait. He had to be mentally prepared, for tonight would determine not just the fate of international relations, but whether he lived to see another day.

It was far too quiet outside. Even the wind stayed silent, and Link wished for people to be staring at him again, if only so he could shake the suspicion that they were all hiding in ambush, ready to capture him the moment he entered their home. Unfortunately, his suspicions turned out to be completely true: in a large hall at the center of the fortress, Aveil and Samiyah waited at a large table while at least a hundred women both white and purple lined the walls, apparently not important enough to sit at the table. When he took his place opposite the two women, his escorts dispersed. Yumn and Nailah guarded the entrance he just came from, Gelbooru took her place with the other whites, and Abia sat beside Samiyah. Link attempted to get over his unease and focus on why he was here.

"Let's get this over with," Aveil said in a bored tone. She still eyed him in the same disarming way, and he wondered what tactical purpose that had now that she wasn't trying to beat him in battle. "We only have to do this once, right?"

Link shook his head sadly. "Negotiations will not be concluded today. I don't have that authority. I am a low-ranking official, so the best I can do is draw up a potential treaty with you and recommend it to her majesty after I leave. Then I'll come back and inform you that the treaty has been ratified or vetoed. If the latter, we will work on drawing up another and continue until we achieve results."

"This could take forever, then."

"I'm not looking forward to it either, but remember that it's not me you're negotiating with; it's the monarch."

"Very well. I would now ask everyone who is not seated at this table to silence themselves." When all chatting stopped, she continued. "Should we reach an agreement, the final decision from my people is mine, but I defer the privilege of discussion to Samiyah. As my elder, she is one of the only sisters with experience dealing in foreign relations."

Link directed his shocked gaze to the stern older woman. It made sense that she had past dealings with Hylians since she was probably older than thirty, and given Hyrule's history, those encounters probably hadn't been pleasant. Could that be part of why she had been so hostile to him so far? As a Hylian, was he an unhappy reminder of times best forgotten? "We have much to discuss," she said rigidly.

Finally, he was getting somewhere. "So why is now in particular a trying time?"

"In normal circumstances we could survive in the desert for eternity despite its difficulty, but we are dying nonetheless. As long as we are forbidden from crossing into Hyrule, we cannot find suitors and give birth to new generations. Since the new laws enacted by your people seven years ago forbade us entry into your kingdom, our eldest have died without anyone to replace them, and most of our younger sisters have already matured into adults."

"Ah, so that's why I haven't seen any children here."

"Yes. We need other things of course, but our most urgent concern is increasing our population. Everything else can wait until we are done discussing that."

"It's my understanding that before Ganondorf attempted to take over Hyrule, the Gerudo were granted limited entry to Hyrule for that purpose."

She nodded. "That is correct."

"However, I also understand that during that time there were problems with theft and Hylian men being kidnapped."

"We had need of things that the Hylians were unwilling to trade us," defended Samiyah. "And when men would not cooperate, we had to be forceful."

"I don't care whether your actions were justified. If we are to legally allow you into Hyrule, then we can't do things like we did in the past. Theft won't be tolerated, nor will abducting anyone against their will. Hylian men will probably respond better if your advances are less aggressive. I can't say I witnessed anything, but apparently men were quite frightened by you."

Samiyah scoffed. "Then men should be less weak." Link ignored the smirk Abia sent him from across the table.

"That's enough," Aveil spoke. "We're getting distracted. Samiyah, I ask that you keep your temper in check, as Link is only here to help us."

She frowned. "I am not so sure of that."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Samiyah directed her hardened gaze to Link. "Your name is Link, correct?"

"Yes," he answered, finding it difficult to force down the increased sense of foreboding twisting in his stomach.

"And what is your full name?"

"Link is my full name. I was orphaned and my parents were unknown, so I have no surname."

He didn't like the way she nodded, as if he had just confirmed something to her. "In the interest of everyone present today and of those who could not attend, I would like to reveal the details of an ongoing investigation of the circumstances surrounding our late king's demise. As you all know, our efforts to create a network of spies in Hyrule Castle have recently come to fruition." Link stiffened, knowing only one reason why she would reveal the existence of spies in Hyrule to a Hylian diplomat. "We finally know why the Great Ganondorf was executed: a young boy stumbled upon his plans and warned the king. We have not been able to find a surname for him, but we know that his first name is Link. Link, you told me earlier that Ganondorf frightened you when you were young. Does that mean you were at the castle during that period?"

He couldn't believe he never saw this coming. All this time, he really was the person who had harmed the Gerudo. "Yes."

"I am sure that by now you understand my allegations against you. Do you deny them?"

"…No," he answered after a pause. "I warned the royal family. I did it to save the king's life and keep Hyrule from falling into Ganondorf's clutches."

"I don't care whether your actions were justified," Samiyah quipped, mimicking his earlier words. "The current state of my people is a direct result of what you did."

Abia no longer smirked—she actually looked a bit worried—and Aveil's confident gaze fell briefly as she said, "I really do regret this, Link, but for the death of our king, you must be punished. I will personally decide your fate later, but for now, our purples and reds will take you to a holding cell."

It was true what they said in Hyrule: a Gerudo could look beautiful even as she executed you. Link looked around in horror as the entire crowd approached him slowly. Though he still had his weapon, he could not hope to fight his way through this many people in such a small space.

"Supposed queen of the Gerudo, your king is not dead!" came a screech that silenced all movement. Aveil's always-present composure left as she looked around in fright, and Link looked around as well, wanting to know who held that kind of power. A chill swept through the room, and two creatures floated over the heads of the guards into the room. Each rode a broomstick kept aloft by an unseen force, and they cackled as they came to the table. Though they both had sickly green skin, their bodies forever tainted as Ganondorf's was from using dark magic, which hung from their cheeks, their hair was startlingly different. Flames danced atop one's head while ice stuck to the other. Link watched the forms of Twinrova made their grand entrance.

"We forbade you to return here under penalty of death!" Samiyah fumed. "Why are you here?"

They cackled some more, circling just overhead as though they were merely children having fun. "Why do you seem so unhappy? You used to show us such respect!" one replied.

"You've descended into madness since we lost Ganondorf, and you have become a danger to us."

"So you forbid us to leave the Spirit Temple?"

"Banishment in the desert is tantamount to murder. We allow you to inhabit the temple out of mercy."

Link was already planning ahead. Since he didn't have the Mirror Shield or the Master Sword, he didn't know whether he could beat them if they attacked. The low ceiling did not allow them to float high, however; if he acted quickly, he could hit them with his sword before they escaped.

The one with fire stopped and fixed her stare on Aveil. "Like we said, our Lord Ganondorf is not dead."

"No," said the other, "we would be able to find his remains were that the case. Something else must have happened to him."

"You!" one cackled, extending a bony finger at Link, and both sisters hovered around him now. Their noses and eyes almost took up their whole faces, and the emptiness in those pupils spoke of deteriorated minds.

"We sense a presence in you, one we have not felt in many years…" Link gripped the hilt of his sword. Did they somehow still recognize him as the Hero of Time, even though they'd only met in the alternate timeline? They stared at him hungrily, inching closer, and he flinched as they suddenly shot forward, ready to defend himself…

Only to find that they were both hugging him and crying. "You honor us with your presence! It does our old hearts good to see you here after what happened to our poor son." Link froze at the absurdity of it and looked to the Gerudo. They all seemed just as dumbfounded as he was.

"We raised Ganondorf to be fierce like you, and ruthless. We raised him to take over Hyrule, but now we cannot even sense him! But don't worry; we created an army of moblins to find him. He will return, and the desert will have its revenge on Hyrule!"

The implications of her statement hit Link like a slap in the face. "You're responsible for the monsters?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.

"Of course! Who else other than Ganondorf could create those brutish things? Anything to recover the gift you gave us, Fierce Oni!"

Link's heart thudded in his chest. Fierce Oni? Was that who everyone thought he was? The Fierce Deity, the one who helped him save Termina? It made so much sense now. He had been an idiot not to realize it after hearing the word "fierce" so many times. The notion of him being a god was completely ridiculous…but maybe he could use it to save everyone from Twinrova. "Koume. Kotake."

They released him and squealed in glee. "You remember us!"

Link unsheathed his weapon. The guards watched, but did not stop him. "I put an end to Ganondorf."

Their grins faltered. "You? But—"

Light exploded from his blade as energy pulsed from it. The spin attack he learned from Death Mountain's great fairy was ready. He put every bit of his magical power into it until flames danced across the edges. Judging by how the witches backed away, he had succeeded in creating a powerful enough display to frighten them. "You're right: he's not dead, because I banished him to another realm. He was a power-hungry fool who fancied himself more powerful than me and tried to become a god by stealing the Triforce. For his arrogance I cast him into the Twilight Realm with the other traitors to the gods."

"O-oh…"

"And you," he hissed. "In your pointless search for him, your moblins have even harmed your sisters." He pointed his blazing sword at them. "End your search, or I will end you."

"Y-yes, my lord."

"Forgive our impudence!"

"Go back to the Spirit Temple, and never come here again. The Gerudo's laws are my laws, so obey them."

They fled on their broomsticks, and a tense silence followed. The energy in the sword dissipated, and everyone gawked at Link, who found himself sweating despite the cold once his rage wore off. "I am not Oni!" he insisted awkwardly, realizing too late that denial would likely only make things worse.

"Koume and Kotake…How did you know their names?" Aveil murmured in shock.

Link sat down. "I…let's just get back on subject. Samiyah, what do you propose for your population problem?" She did not speak, and he stood up quickly. "Well…I think we've done all we can tonight. Aveil, if your guards would escort me back, I'd like to go to bed." He didn't meet anyone's eyes and didn't look up even as he heard a few chairs scraping the floor dissonantly against the silence.

"Yes," Samiyah said at last. "Perhaps that would be best."

Angry with himself and with the situation, Link refused to look up as the four people who'd led him all day took him through the maze of hallways to a small room. "Thank you," he uttered. None followed him inside, and once he was sure the door was closed, he let out his frustration.

How could he have been so incredibly stupid? Surely he could've dealt with Twinrova without screwing up this badly. Link sighed heavily, fighting the urge to scream for fear that it would alarm those outside. It was over and done with, he told himself. He couldn't do anything about it now but demonstrate over the next few days that he was not divine and hope nothing bad came from his indiscretion.

The fact that the witches claimed to have sensed the Fierce Deity inside of him worried him, though. Link recalled his time in Termina and wondered where the mask had gone after he defeated Majora with it. He distinctly remembered putting it on, but the fight that followed was a blur of fury and desperation. He had no memory of taking it off, so…

He shook the thought immediately. There was no deity inside him. He was Link, and nothing more.

A noise interrupted his musings, a soft click and light footsteps, and in the dim light something opened the door just enough to slip into his room before silently closing it. "Who's there?" he called, reaching for his weapon.

"Only a humble and grateful woman," came the breathy reply.

"Are you here to arrest me?" he asked, too depressed to be confused.

"No. I'm here to keep you warm." Gold eyes shone like a cat's in the near-dark, and when her figure came into focus Link felt very much like a frightened mouse. "You're not used to the desert nights. All the heat vanishes, but I can help you adjust." Her playful expression was unlike any he'd seen today, as was her attire, for she did not have the common baggy pants.

More precisely, she didn't have pants at all.

Before he even understood the situation, she closed the distance between them. Still frozen from the revelation of her lack of attire, Link was caught flatfooted as her lips melded with his. Taking one of his hands, she tucked it between her cleavage. Her breasts pressed against his palm and warmed it, and he felt the heat coming from her womanhood, separated from the night air only by a thin layer of underwear. "I give myself to you. Please accept me, Oni!" she begged before kissing him more passionately.

Link started at her "Oni" remark before returning the kiss. He still didn't fully get it, but the dark allowed him to imagine it was Zelda he was touching like this. His hand's position and the crotch rubbing against his made it difficult for him to think. He'd never gotten this sort of attention before, and he wanted to have some relief at last. His erection, now standing proudly and pushing at her underwear as though trying to get inside, begged for attention that she was willing to give. All he had to do was let her. It was easy.

But, he reminded himself with chagrin, it wasn't right. He didn't even know this girl, and she was just giving herself to him without a thought. Plus, he didn't want to be charged with rape on top of everything he was already in trouble for. "Get out." She was far stronger than he anticipated, but he managed to push her away. Her smile grew naughtier.

"Don't worry. I'm the best thief our kind has to offer. No one saw me come in here." Falling onto his bed on her back while still looking up at him hungrily, she shifted her underwear aside with one finger so he could see her slick arousal. "Honor me, Oni!"

Link blushed, and only with great effort did he avert his eyes. His every instinct screamed at him to ravish her as she wanted. "I said leave."

Realizing he was serious, her smile faltered. "But…how can a man resist a woman's charm? Am I not beautiful enough?" He picked up his sword, hoping to scare her off but not planning to use it. She stood up. "F-forgive me, Oni, for thinking a mortal could bed with one who has pleased a goddess."

"Go, and never call me that again."

With a combination of shame, fear, and apology, she fled, and he collapsed against a wall. Despite having thwarted a potentially dangerous and immoral situation, he still wasn't happy. Had he just thrown away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? His penis throbbed, and his testicles ached at the realization that nothing would happen tonight. Images of what could have been teased his mind, and images of the pure and timid Princess Zelda begging him to fuck her tortured his soul until at length he struck the wall in frustration.

As usual, there was nothing he could do to ease his stress. He certainly wasn't about to masturbate in a village full of women. What if they found him? They would probably be disgusted, and Gerudo were not known for being forgiving of outsiders, so like on so many other nights, he resigned himself to going to bed with blue balls. Not tired but wishing for his mind to stop working for a while, he threw himself onto the bed and tried to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Link's (Hook)shot

* * *

><p>Before the door even opened, Link heard the footsteps from outside. He rose from the cot with his sheathed sword in hand, which had been resting next to him in his slumber for obvious reasons, though he had been awake for quite some time. He relaxed as light poured into his small room against the backs of several familiar figures. Despite his tortured dreams, they all looked more tired than he was, and he wondered whether they had stayed up to discuss his fate while he slept.<p>

"Get up," Samiyah commanded, and Link didn't bother hiding the annoyance on his face as he looked at her. Still, he didn't bother asking why they pointed blades at him. "So, you think you're Oni, huh?" she asked, voice hard.

"I told you last night that I'm not." Link muttered, though it was loud enough for them to hear.

"You'd better hope you are. We have a test to find out who you really are. Only a Gerudo or a god can pass our membership test."

"I'm not a god." Link repeated for probably the third or fourth time since he'd came here. "I can bleed."

"So can Oni. His sisters, the goddesses, imprisoned him in flesh in the mortal realm, so it's conceivable that one might be Oni and not know it."

This was getting him nowhere. Link sighed as he decided just to go with it. He didn't have much of a choice anyways, and what was the worse that could happen? He technicallywas a member of the Gerudo. His became a member when he was the Hero of Time, after rescuing those carpenters. Of course, that was in the alternate timeline, but he at least knew that he fit some of the qualifications, so he might be able to pass this test.

"Take your equipment with you. You'll likely need it." Link pondered what they might have in mind for him as he strapped his blade on his back and slung his shield over it. After equipping a few potions to his kilt and magical pouch, which stored most of his items, the four escorts led him back through the maze of hallways and back out into the sunlight and outdoors.

Link immediately squinted his eyes and had to shield them from the harsh, bright sun. The heat difference was immediately felt as soon as he walked out form the fortress. Part of him liked to think he might have started getting used to it, but it was still pretty harsh. Part of him kind of regretted not packing the Goron's Tunic, but he quickly reminded himself of his mission. Better understand the people of the Gerudo and attempt to understand their needs... yeah, except that this was getting horribly sidetracked.

He sighed as he tried to walk in the tight formation, between his 'escorts'. It may have just been him, but for some reason he could swear they were even closer. Close enough for him to bump into them awkwardly a few times when he fell out of walking sync... though he noted that he didn't get any kind of dirty looks, or even a sign of discomfort. It really was as if he wasn't there with them. He wouldn't be lying if he said he kind of liked their previous demeanor more than this silent treatment, and that definitely said something.

Needless to say this was taking a toll on his patience, but he set it aside and decided to just deal with it. After last night, it would be in his best interests to do what they say and pray they will let him live. He was in their territory and he wasn't exactly a welcome guest at this point.

Link bit his lip as he tried to guess where they could be taking him... membership test, huh? He regretted joining the Gerudo the way he did. Sneaking around the Fortress obviously wasn't their plan for him. They were headed to the direction of the desert...

The hero was pulled from his thoughts and into reality as he felt a moderate shove to his back. He raised his head, and saw the oversized gate into the Desert for the second time in his life. Well... first time in this life.

A hookshot came sliding from Link's side and halted at his foot. He looked over at the Gerudo who kicked it towards him. She was an old, petit woman with notably gray hair. She was of the Purples, as well.

She cut off his train of thought as she spoke. "Use that hookshot at your feet as needed. It's almost necessary to complete the first step in our Membership Test. You might want to get familiar with it in advance, before you're sent out here." Link rose an eyebrow.

"My name is Ladina of the Purple, and I have run these Membership tests in the rare events that someone wants to join the Gerudos of the Desert for quite some time. You would do well to remember my name in the future... if you succeed in becoming one of us, that is." She spoke with obvious pride and confidence. She looked Link over carefully before nodding her head and continuing. For some reason, Link couldn't say that he liked the way she looked him over. "There is simply one task that you need to complete in order to be considered one of us.

"In the far side of the Desert lies the Spirit Temple which, at the moment, serves as the nest of Twinrova. I'm sure you know why I'm telling you this. Only a soul with the blood of a Gerudo would be able to navigate the Desert to the Temple. Anyone else would be lost and devoured by the winds."

Link sighed quietly as he dropped his head briefly. He remembered the last time that he did this. It wasn't an easy task- that was for sure. He remembered the harsh winds of the Desert and the excruciating heat. It wasn't anything to be fooled with and needless to say, he wasn't looking forward to it.

"I'm telling you this to warn you in advance, boy. Pay attention, or you will die out there." Link's head snapped in her direction. She leaned in close to him, whispering to him- to make him listen. "Only the spirit of a true Gerudo can make it to the Spirit Temple. After you get past the markers that we placed, and that isn't exactly easy either, you're on your own."

Link noticed as the gate behind her started to rise slowly, though she didn't stop speaking. "If you're truly a Gerudo, you'll be guided to the Spirit Temple. If you're not... well, I don't need to explain it."

The elderly woman stepped to the side as she motioned with her head for Link to get going. The Hylian sighed as he stepped forward- his escorts had left him at the scene. He didn't have much of a choice but to step forward and tackle the challenge that was in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Sage of Spirit

* * *

><p>His step faltered as he struggled against the desert wind. He held his hand in front of his eyes to shield himself from the blowing sands. It almost hurt as the hot sands clashed against the bare skin of his face. He kept a hand on his freshly blood-bathed sword. To put it shortly, Leevers weren't unheard of in the Desert, and he'd rather not chance one of those things chomping his foot off on his way back. It would be smart to wipe as many as he could on the way there so they couldn't get him in-case the journey from the Temple made him weary.<p>

Link wiped the sweat off of his face slowly. If it hadn't been for the scorching heat, he would have shuddered thinking that this was the easy part. He'd long since crossed the River of Sands. He was pretty relieved that they provided the hookshot this time around. He hadn't acquired one yet. Then again, if they didn't, how did they expect him to cross it?

And on the subject, just what was he supposed to do at the Spirit Temple? All Ladina said was, "If you're truly a Gerudo, you'll be guided to the Spirit Temple. If you're not... well, I don't need to explain it." Just what was the purpose? He'll die if he couldn't find his way there. On the other hand, if he's guided to the Temple, then... then what? Did they forget to tell him?

No. She said she had been doing this for a while. She wouldn't have forgotten. He remembered his last time there. Did they expect the Mirror Shield? Or the Silver Mittens?

He sighed in confusion. He wasn't given any kind of instructions at all. And on the note of his task- weren't Twinrova sent back to the Temple? Of course they were, he sent the two. Did they expect their heads? He cursed under his own panting.

The hero found himself torn from his inquest, trying to realize just what he was standing in front of. What seemed to be... some type of shrine in front of him, surrounded by the posts used to mark the path through the desert. He noticed a spiral staircase going from the side up to the top.

He took a moment to absorb the situation. Last he remembered, this was where he had to use the Lens of Truth to find the guide to the Spirit Temple. He didn't have that this time around. Then again, how did everyone else get there? He surely wasn't the first, though he may have been the first to rely on the Lens of Truth... That thought didn't warm up to him at all.

... Up until he chuckled at the terrible pun he made in his head. The heat was definitely getting to him.

Link climbed the steps to discover the same carved writing on the plaque as he remembered. He smiled at the familiar words.

"I'll be your guide on your way, but coming back, I won't play! I'll show you the only way to go- so follow me, and don't be slow!"

His head snapped towards the direction of the echoing voice, whilst the grip on his blade's handle tightened. A Poe floated on equal level with him- though, it was just out of his reach, unless he leaped off of the shrine. This Poe... seemed familiar. Those words did, to be exact. The Poe who guided him to the Temple last time said that, but he had to use the Lens of Truth to see it. Why not now?

The Poe had started to float backwards, as if leaving somewhere, though it came to an abrupt halt after looking Link over briefly.

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you who I think you are, or is this just a cruel illusion played by fate?"

Link blinked. Part of him expected the Poe to disappear when he opened his eyes. Part of him wanted to think that the heat had him hallucinating... but apparently not. Instead, the Poe, the manifestation of a troubled spirit with pent-up rage against the world, wasrhyming to him. Last time he heard those words- he thought it was by coincidence. He was pretty sure it was on purpose, now. He didn't know what to think of it. Most Poes he'd encountered had either attacked him or played some kind of trick on him.

"Oh, goody, goody! It's been so many years since I've escorted somebody! Especially a Gerudo!"

Link stepped back as the Poe floated up to him, a little to close for comfort, and studied him closely.

"Though, you don't look as if so... Unless..."

The ghost-like being circled around Link a few times, slowly, mentally taking note of every recognizable detail. Only after a few times around had the Poe floated back to eye-level with Link and displayed some time of sadistic grin...

"The Fierce Deity- Oni, you must be, yes?"

The hero sighed impatiently. He glared at the Poe- obviously annoyed. The ghost seemed to have taken the hint, needless to say.

"Grumpy, aren't we? No matter. It's proof enough that you didn't need the Lens to see me." The Poe seemed to smile- or that could have been Link squinting too hard. That last part seemed to catch the Hylian's attention, but he was cut off before he began to question the spirit. "Even if you're not of any relation, I'd be happy to help. Allow me to guide you to your destination. I'd assume the Spirit Temple, correct?"

Before Link could ask what he meant by being able to see him without the Lens, the Poe floated backwards into the sandy winds. The Hero really didn't have any kind of choice but to jump off and hurry to catch the spirit.

* * *

><p>"Aaaand~, here we are! The Spirit Temple, a danger to all!" Link found the Poe's cheerfulness a little annoying. He turned to thank the Spirit for helping, but he found that he had already disappeared.<p>

Link sighed again- what did he mean by that? "It's proof enough you didn't need the Lens to see me"? What was that supposed to mean? Link shook the thought out of his head for now- he had something to do. He wasn't sure what, but he couldn't come back empty-handed.

Great. He looked ahead at the Temple- it was quite a sight. He smiled. Call him crazy, but he couldn't help but feel a little happy. So many familiar sights.

He took a step forward, and kept his hand on the handle of his blade, sheathed on his back. It seemed clear, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Link readied his weapons and made way for the Temple.

Upon entering the first door and getting into the dungeon- he didn't see much change. It was virtually the same place as it was last time. Two passages- one he cleared as a child, the other as an adult. He could very well kiss the chance at conquering the temple goodbye, but that's not what he was here for. At least, that's what he thought.

He bit his lip. He wasn't sure what he was here for- he wasn't sure what to do. He knew he had to be here, but what else was there to it? Link tightened his grip on his blade and moved his shield in front of him- he slowly climbed the steps leading to the two passageways. His eyes scanned the platform in front of him for any kind of potential threat.

Part of himself felt that he was getting paranoid- he had done this once before. It wouldn't be hard this time. Though, truth be told, he didn't really want to be here. Twinrova would detect his presence sooner or later and he wasn't sure if he could survive a second encounter with the two without the Master Sword or Mirror Shield.

Then again, did he even have to encounter the twin witches? There was no point in it- at least, none that he could think of. Ladina did tell him to come here, kind of, but what for?

Maybe she meant to leave him clueless. Maybe he was supposed to figure it out. But then again, what was here that the Gerudo would want? Mirror Shield? Silver Mittens? Those were the only items of value that he could remember being here.

"Psst! Hey, over here!" Link heard behind him. It was a loud whisper, if that was possible. Like somebody was trying to keep quiet, but was obviously upset. Link turned his head in the direction of the voice- and discovered a Gerudo woman stepping out from behind one of the two statues- she was dressed in white and gold clothing. She looked average compared to the ones he saw back at the Fortress- enough hair for a pony-tail, big nose, aggressive-looking. Though, she had on quite a lot of facial paint. She waved him over to where she was at quickly- like they were about to be caught by someone.

He recognized her immediately. Nabooru.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Link: 2, Spirit Temple: 0

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><p>"So, you're him, huh?" Link felt a little uncomfortable as the slightly older woman looked him up and down- as if to estimate his strength. He remembered what Gelbooru said. About the Gerudo being able to judge the worth of a man. Link couldn't help but feel curious as to what Nabooru was thinking. He had gotten used to the treatment, of course. But getting stared at like that every time he met someone of Gerudo ethnicity was kind of... well, intimidating wasn't the right word. Bottom line was, he didn't enjoy it anymore. Not that he enjoyed it in the first place, but it was getting a bit annoying at this point. He would have to tolerate it nonetheless. "The Hylian ambassador being tested for Gerudo Membership?"<p>

Link nodded at her. She continued to give him that same, judgmental eye. He watched her nod her head at him in return, as if she had come to some kind of conclusion. His curiosity grew. Part of him wanted to know what she thought of him. Though it wasn't really important, he couldn't help but wonder.

"I've heard quite a bit about you, Link." She almost startled him when she called him by his name. "Aside from looks, you don't seem like anything special."

It took Link a second to realize what she had said, upon realizing he felt a weak blush come across his face, even though he did feel a little offended for being judged so poorly after just meeting her. She shrugged before smirking at him impishly.

"But you did make it out here, so you get points for that."

Nabooru seemed mostly the same from last time, maybe a little bit more cheerful. For obvious reasons, of course.

"About that..." Link rested his hand against his hand and leaned on it as he sat with her. "What exactly am I here for? I was sent to be guided here, by Ladina."

"Well, kid, I wasn't exactly given any directions to follow upon your arrival." Link almost smiled at the familiarity of hearing her call him 'kid'. Nabooru shrugged, then redirected her eyes towards the temple's doors. "I was given other orders-"

"Twinrova?"

Link hadn't noticed that he interrupted her, but it didn't seem like she minded.

".Kind of. I'm just scoping out the situation now. I received word of your... 'situation' last night, which included Twinrova's part, as well." Link redirected his gaze from her. She looked back at him. "I'm just here to see how they're dealing with it all. We want them at their weakest, in case we decide to take them out of the picture. This could very well be the chance we use, if we choose to dispose of them."

Link nodded. He really couldn't blame them. Perhaps killing them wouldn't be his course of action, but they needed to be stopped.

"I was notified that you'd be heading for the Temple, however. I'm not going to tell you to go back, though I'd assume that's what Ladina would want."Link raised an eyebrow at the Gerudo thief before him. "I could use your help here. You told Samiyah that you were practiced in stealth, right?"

Link was surprised she knew so much about him. Last he knew, she had left the Gerudo and became a lone thief. At least, that's what she told him when he was a child, last time. Well... considering she left because of Ganondorf, it makes sense she'd come back to her people once he was gone. Though, he didn't see her last night, but she did say she 'received word.' It wouldn't be unreasonable to think she was still a bit independent.

"That's right."

"Think you can get through this temple quietly? We'll have to split up- there's two passageways and I'm not exactly familiar with either. I was told there's an item or two around here that we'll want to use against Twinrova. It'd be best to pick them up while we're here."

"I can handle it." Link had to resist the smirk that tried to play itself on his lips, but he didn't bother hiding the confidence. This would pose little to no challenge; all of the surprises had already been exposed. He could probably remember everything. It would take an hour at most, half hour if he hurried.

"I'll hold you to that." Nabooru's impish grin returned, as she rose and scoped out the room one last time before giving Link the signal to go ahead. "You take the right passage, I'll find a way in through the left."

He nodded. "We should probably meet up outside- later. Two hours sounds appropriate."

She nodded in return. "Be fast, though; the only reason I'm asking for your help is because I want this done quickly. Twinrova could very well put last night aside and strike again. Time is of the essence, Link. Go."

...

A sigh of relief escaped the Hero's lips after he kicked open the wooden treasure chest. Inside it lay the red and silver Mirror Shield. A familiar smile played itself on his lips as he recollected past memories, wielding this shield. Glimpses of magnificent battles would flash in his mind. From fighting against Twinrova, to conquering the inside of Ganon's Castle. Link may not have been so fond of the memories that the shield brought, but it brought him joy nonetheless, to hold something so familiar, for once. It comforted him, in a way. This was the same shield that saved his life from countless monsters and evil beings, and he was privileged enough to wield it one more time. He felt a bit more confident with this by his side.

He'd sling the shield over his blade and tucked his previous Hylian Shield into his magical pouch. Granted, it was likely he wasn't going to be able to keep the Mirror Shield for himself, but it wouldn't hurt to use it on the way back to the temple entrance. For old time's sake.

He felt safe enough- assuming Nabooru had been here and didn't get discovered. He assumed Twinrova wouldn't be able to detect him, seeing as how he cleared the entire temple in his past life and went undetected up until the end. Though perhaps they let him reach them on purpose. He didn't know, nor did he care to stick around long enough to find out. In and out, just like Nabooru told him.

Then again, besides Twinrova, there wasn't much in the temple to worry about. And even if Twinrova found him, he could try the Oni act again. Granted it likely would fail a second time, but there was a chance it could provide enough time for a fast escape. Their stubborn belief in that he was Oni might fool them long enough, maybe.

The thought of the Fierce Deity, Oni, was brought to his mind for at least the third time that day. Except now, he was alone with nobody to distract him from his thoughts. And he'd done it himself that time. Wonderful.

He'd be lying if he told himself that it didn't scare him a little when Twinrova said that they sensed Oni within him. He distinctly remembered placing the mask on his face before facing off with Majora's Mask, but... yeah, he'd been through this. He didn't recall taking it off.

Was it really possible for the Deity to ingrain himself into Link's very being? Was it possible for the two to somehow become one? Oni was a god, after all. He couldn't put it past him. But for what possible reason would that happen? Why would he do that?

Was it a case like Skull Kid and Majora? Or were the two somehow forcibly fused together, the moment Link placed the mask on?

The more Link had found himself thinking about it, the more he'd found himself scared of the inevitable showdown with Twinrova. Part of him didn't want to hear what they would have to say to him.

But then again, part of him wanted to play a role in their end- it would be for the good of everyone. He felt fairly confident in himself, thinking he could handle the duo with the Mirror Shield at his side. And surely, if the Gerudo really did plan to dispose of the two, then they'd have a weapon forged, able to slay the two of them.

He'd done it once before, right?

Then again, what were really the chances of him getting a shot at the two happening? It was practically the Gerudo's duty. Even though they had wronged Hyrule, the two were of the Gerudo, so all he could really ask for was to assist them.

It creeped him out even more, thinking that Twinrova were in the very same temple that he was sneaking around him. Not that he was afraid of them, but moreso he was afraid how they could even further damage his reputation here. Twinrova had already called him out, claiming he was Oni. And that didn't help negotiations any at all. He recalled the awkwardness of last night, staring at the awestruck crowd of Gerudo. The Hylian didn't look forward to returning the Fortress at all, remembering Samiyah's words.

"Only a Gerudo or a God can pass our membership test." The words floated in his head. He hoped she was bluffing, despite having no reason to.

He was certain he had no Gerudo blood in him, but the god part... that might have been another story.

He didn't necessarily accept that fact, nor did he think he believed it yet. It seemed so... sudden, he'd suppose. He shook the thought out of his head for the time being; he had a job to finish and reflecting on this train wreck of a mission wasn't helping. All that was left for him here was to get Nabooru, and go back to the Fortress.

The heat from the desert wind hit him like a sack of bricks to the face whilst exiting the temple's doors and back out into the aggressive, windy wasteland. He regretted not having the Ocarina of Time in this timeline. A simple 6 note song, and he could be out of the heat and relaxing in the cool waters of the Zora River.

He sighed, and wiped the sweat from his brow and dealt with it. He'd been through worse, no doubt.

Link hung his head up and stared up at the sky, and the harsh sun. He had to shield his eyes with a hand as he sluggishly made his way back to the direction from which he came. He and Nabooru had agreed to meet up outside in two hours. He wondered where she was. He retrieved the Mirror Shield in what seemed like half an hour, at least. An hour, at most. She was still in the temple.

A wave of guilt washed over him, realizing he had just left her in the nest of Twinrova. Of course, she was a professional thief. He assumed she had been there for a while before he showed up. She could handle herself.

He tried to put faith in her. She'd likely been in situations like this many times before. She was a lone-thief, she didn't need him to help her. She didn't need for him to worry about her.

They'd agreed to meet up outside soon, anyways. If she didn't show, then he'd go in after her.

Until then... he thought he deserved a rest. He had just rose from bed not four hours ago, but the heat and stress definitely had taken a toll on him and he didn't get much rest last night anyways. A nice, shady spot under a rock and about half an hour of shut-eye would do him some good.

* * *

><p>It was all a blur. Everything was blurry in front of him. He couldn't make out anything. A sharp pain appeared in the back of his skull, followed by an involuntary scream of pain. He seemed to have flinched, stumbling backwards and almost falling.<p>

His vision slowly returned. He tried to move and get an update on his surroundings, but found himself unable to move. Unable to control his body.

He recalled this feeling. He recognized it, from his childhood. He remembered the helpless feeling, almost cowering in fear. He realized what it meant.

Link tried to move his body, tried to move a muscle, but again found himself unable to. He was able to at least look at his own body from what seemed like some type of third-person view.

... Even if it didn't seem like it was himself he was observing. The glimpsing tribal, solid, blue and red markings on his skin reminded him of what was happening. The illuminating tunic, aggressive nature... helpless feeling.

This could only mean two things.

He was either having another one of those horrific nightmares from his childhood... or was under the influence of The Fierce Deity's spirit.

These surroundings struck him familiar, as well. He was able to at least acknowledge it, even if it was under rubble and completely destroyed. He was in the middle of a collapsed Hyrule Castle. Glimpses of his experience with his arch nemesis under similar circumstances flashed before his mind before he let loose another ear-piercing howl.

Another piercing pulse of agony flushed through his head, throwing him off enough to collapse on a side. He curled up in pain, his being flashing between himself and the form he undertook against Majora.

Hands clutched his the hair on his head as he rolled onto his back. He felt overwhelmed.

Blotches of black started to cloud his vision, distorting his sight and slowly spreading throughout his eyes, threatening him with unconsciousness. He shook his head in refusal, denial. He felt himself tremble, shaking uncontrollably. He screamed before falling victim to blindness, blacking out.

"Link! Link, stop it! Get a hold of yourself!"

* * *

><p>"Link, wake the hell up! Get a hold of yourself already!"<p>

His eyes snapped open. He rose his head immediately, quickly observing his surroundings. It was nearing the evening... He'd overslept. He turned his head to greet his new alarm clock, a slightly bitter glare greeting her.

"You're sweating." She asked. Nabooru put a hand to her chest- almost offended at his sudden change of personality. At least, change in personality from what he was like at the temple.

He didn't respond to her. He stared at his hands. He seemed normal. Normal Link. A small wave of relief washed over him.

"... Bad dream or something?"

He rose a hand to his forehead. A cold sweat greeted the uncovered fingers on his glove. He was panting slightly, voice breathy and barely strained. "Yeah."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Back to the Fortress

* * *

><p>"You wanna let me in on what it was about then, kid?" She leaned to her side, slightly leaning on him and grinned tiredly as they sat together in probably the only shady spot for miles, underneath a small formation of rock. He eyed her for a second, observing her lighthearted and seemingly carefree nature. He had never really gotten to know Nabooru personally, only exchanging a bit of conversation with her. She seemed to strike him as identical from his alternate timeline: only now, he was closer to her age- she treated him differently, for obvious reasons. He found himself to enjoy the change of heart he'd been recently receiving from the majority of women he'd encountered- unlike a lot of them, Nabooru was friendly. "Venting about this kind of thing helps, depending on what's the matter."<p>

"... I don't want to talk about it." He didn't like to be negative, but there was truth to his words. Her smile died out a little bit. He noticed the slight depression in her mood. "It's a sensitive subject."

"I wont push it, then." She took her support off of him and fell to her opposite side, laying in the warm sand. It was likely less than pleasant, Link thought. A small, weak sigh emitted from the female next to him. It had occurred to him that she was likely as exhausted as he was. Maybe not as emotionally strung out, but physically, probably. He hadn't a good night's sleep since he arrived. Given this was the second day he had been here, but everything that had happened in such a time really took a toll on him, physically and emotionally.

He took a note out of her book leaning his head back, resting his eyes, enjoying the cool spot. Well, it wasn't cool, but compared to the rest of the desert, it was a much needed break from the constant heat.

"I didn't see you at the negotiations yesterday. Considering the importance of a mission like this, I'd figure someone of your ranking would be there." Link said. It wasn't that he wanted to break the silence, but more-so he didn't want to take the company he had for granted. It was nice to converse when he had the chance to, which really wasn't that much.

"I wasn't. Only time I ever visit the Fortress is when I come by and need a place to rest..." Link looked down at her, watching her play with sand and stare at it boringly. "I'm kind of our link to the other lands and civilizations, you could say."

"How so?"

"I used to be a lone thief. I defected from my people whilst they were under the rule of Ganondorf." She said simply. There was little to no emotion to her words- as if she hardly cared. "Since his absence of the throne, I came back and undertook membership again. I never really liked being tied down to that place, and since my level of skill is so high, I was granted sort of a 'independent agent' kind of status."

She fiddled with some of the jewelry on her arm. "I really don't have much of an official ranking, so I chose to wear clothes of the White. Decorated to my liking, of course."

"... I see." He smirked a fragment, pondering how much of that jewelry she had stolen, how much was even hers.

She noticed the movement on his lips and chucked small stone at his arm playfully. "What's so funny, pointy-ears?"

"Nothing, in particular." He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "It's just nice to talk to someone that I can get along with, is all."

"Not liking the girls back home, are you?" She raised an eyebrow at him. His smirk grew at the question.

"I don't have anything against them, but being here on business is depressing. Knowing that sooner or later, I'll have to have negotiations and leave. It's nice to be in a community that I can relate with, despite all the complications that have been occuring."

"I guess so. I'd imagine Hyrule doesn't have many guys like you, huh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love my people and my homeland. But it's frustrating, the number of stuck-up diplomats that I have to put up with."

"I could imagine it would be." She rose to a stand, and offered her hand out to the Hylian looking up at her. "But we have ground to cover, and I don't wanna lay around for too long. Makes ya lazy. Get up, kid."

He sighed and took her hand, letting her help him to his feet. He collected the things he lay to rest on the side.

"... So, that's the Mirror shield?" She looked at his back, staring at the red trimmed shield.

"Seems like it." He was careful with his words- making sure it sounded like it was the first time he had wielded the shield.

"Looks pretty foxy, if I could say so myself." Link turned and rose an eyebrow at the girl posing in front of the mirror, effectively complimenting herself.

...

"Nabooru! Oni! A pleasure it is to see the two of you!"

Link rose his head and looked in the direction of the voice. He hadn't been paying much attention- so it seemed he reached the point where the Poe had guided him to. He instantly recognized the voice. The painful rhyming gave it away instantly.

The Poe that had guided him earlier manifested itself in front of the two of them- it's signature creepy grin included. It kind of put him off- especially considering the fact that it wasn't so... friendly, he'd suppose, last time. It simply guided him to the temple. That was it... but now, interacting with this strange ghost, he didn't know what to feel. He was grateful, of course, but that didn't stop him from thinking this thing was any less odd.

"Likewise. Listen, we're kind of here on business., so we kind of have to run."

Link studied the ghost in front of him curiously. Nabooru was able to interact with it, as well, it seemed. Was that how she got back and forth from the temple? Probably so. He couldn't think of a reason for the Poe to single him out.

"Is the Fortress where you'd like to go? Ah, of course it is. You'll let me escort the two of you, I hope?"

"Mm... yeah, I suppose. We could use your help. We just need to get back to the shrine- and we can handle ourselves from there."

"Very well, I shall proceed! The two of you follow me, and you'll arrive in one piece!"

Link had still found himself astounded at the friendliness of this Poe. Every one he'd encountered tried to hinder him in some way.

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way, then." The thief had motioned with her hand towards the direction they had all came from. The Poe had immediately started back, and again, got a nice, healthy lead on the two. Nabooru had felt herself comfortable walking, though, and didn't hurry after it.

Link took note of this and did the same- she had likely much more experience with it than he had. He looked ahead and saw the Poe look back on the two and frown, obviously upset that the two weren't racing behind him, and slowed down to their pace, but still had a lead on the two, as if it may have expected them to burst ahead any second. It reminded the Hylian of a little kid, in a way.

It was a rare occasion, but Link had found himself in a genuinely good mood, after witnessing the child-like nature of this spirit.

"Something else, isn't he?" Nabooru's voice had reminded him of her presence.

"He's different from your average Poe." Link turned his head towards the thief next to him.

It was a strange feeling, but Link felt almost... at ease, wandering about the desert with the thief at his side, guided by this Poe. A part of him felt a sense of familiarity... no, a, sense of home, walking through the wastelands. He was still relatively new to the scene, to all of this, really. It was all so foreign to him, but at the same time, it really wasn't. He couldn't describe it... but either way, he felt comfortable here.

The three of them continued towards the shrine, making relatively good time. The sun was nearly set, something that Link felt kind of odd. Traveling all that way and back, plus the time spent at the temple, felt much longer than just one day's time. He stared at the sun with a curiosity, almost speechless, looking back on everything that had gone by in the past few days.

It didn't seem like two days ago, when he arrived here and saved Samiyah, Abia, and the rest of that group. With all that had gone by in these two long days, he'd developed a relatively strong sense of attachment to the desert sand and it's people. He could relate to them.

He sighed quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself. It wouldn't do him any good to get comfortable here, though that was initially the last thing on his agenda. He would never have imagined that he would grow a sense of comfort in this fierce desert. That would only make his mission that much harder. He didn't want to have any kind of bias when it came to negotiations, even if they had this new bias against him, after discovering just who he was.

Though negotiations haven't been going all that smoothly, thanks to.

"... So, what do you plan on doing if you score this membership card? Gonna stick around for a while?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts almost immediately. That last question was... less of a question, and sounded much more like an assumption, as if she too thought he kind of liked it here... Was he that easy to see through? They'd just met.

"I have a home in Hyrule."

"I see..." She sounded slightly depressed- she had just met him, so it was likely that she was just anxious for conversation. "Shame. I could use some company out on these kind of missions- that was pretty impressive back there, ya know. I've been around this place three or four times in my time here, and nobody pulls those kinds of stunts as fast as you..." She paused briefly, giving him a suspicious eye. "Do you have any kind of previous experience at this? The whole infiltration gig?"

"I've cleared enough dungeons in the past to build up some knowledge, if that counts."

"You were asleep when I came back. You must have been waiting for a while."

"I told you I was practiced in stealth. You knew that before meeting me."

"Mm... Doesn't explain much, but I think I like you." She shot him a warm-hearted smile. He felt almost flabbergasted- he'd made another ally, along with Aveil and Gabooru. Being social wasn't his thing really, yet here he was... Maybe things were going to turn his way for once? The last few days at the Fortress hadn't rolled over well, but it seemed that might turn around soon.

* * *

><p>Or, you know, they might not.<p>

Link frustratingly exhaled as he struggled to keep up with the Gerudo maiden speeding through the desert winds, darting past the flagged beacons- he had a feeling that she wasn't even looking for them. It was likely that she knew the path by heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. He at times lost in her in the sandstorm, often having to stop and navigate through the sand, struggling to find one of the markers.

Still, he was rather impressed with her. She moved throughout the desert with almost doubtful speeds. If he wasn't busy with trying to make his way through the wasteland at her rate, then he'd be able to appreciate having a (slightly) easier guide through the desert.

The travel was much less aggravating than the nuisances- on his way to the Temple, he'd seen almost no potential threats. He was caught off guard when charged by that first Leever- he still managed to defend himself, but none the less he found it surprising. After one, came two more, and so on.

He wasn't used to this type of combat. Multiple enemies, he could easily handle. Multiple enemies that are ingrained into the ground and required him to keep his regular pace of movement in the troubling desert sand and raging storm, he could not easily handle.

It helped to view it as training than anything else- he still had that rematch with Aveil and it was likely that their fight would be in conditions similar to this one, minus the sand in his face.

It wasn't until much, much later that they managed to make it back to the Fortress- and Link had a feeling that this was mostly Link's fault. He had a tendency of wanting to clear out every monster he'd seen. It helped him think the world was safer, though multiple times he had to remind himself that slaying these monsters would do little good. On a few occasions, Nabooru had found herself stopping and waiting for the Hylian behind her. But then again, it was kind of to be expected. He hadn't nearly as much experience at this as her- and this had him thinking. He wondered what he would do without her- she did a good job of guiding him, and night travel would have been much more dangerous, or at least he thought. If evening was this bad, then he didn't want to find out what it was like at the later times of night.

The over-sized gate to the desert was in his line of view. He could see it. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that this was the final stretch to safety. But then, at the same time, he felt a slight tinge of nervousness as he remembered what he was told this morning, for at least the third time today.

"Only a Gerudo or a God can pass our membership test."

He knew he had some explaining to do but it would definitely be hard when he himself didn't know what to make of the case. He really doubted he had the blood of a Gerudo, and he didn't want to find out anything relating to the Deity that helped him defeat Majora.

The two approached the gate, and as if on cue, the gate began shook lightly. He wondered how long scouts have been watching him- he wasn't sure how far they could see, and he was curious as to how long they watched him when he first headed out this morning.

The gate before them rose, opening surprisingly quickly for something of it's size. As it rose, Ladina, and several other Gerudo women of the Purple, stood waiting by the gate. It was the same place they had sent him off. He doubted that they had been waiting for him, but then again, he also doubted that they suspected him back alive, given the conditions they had just sent him out into.

But there was always the chance he was looking into it too deeply. He sighed as him and Nabooru walked under the gate, and into their fort. He originally thought that coming here would help serve as a vacation of some sort from the Hylian council, but all it had been doing is adding loads of more stress onto him. He needed a break, desperately.

"Nabooru, what is the meaning of this!" For the first time, Link had heard the old woman yell. She glared at the thief next to him as her and the group behind her approached the two.

"What's the matter?" Link could tell that Nabooru was resisting a grin. Her expression was bright, though he suspected that she was faking innocence.

"He was supposed to travel to and from the temple alone!"

"Well, I asked for his help. It was only natural we came back together."

He felt out of place as the two women bickered at one another. He wanted to speak up, but he knew it wasn't his place and would only make matters worse.

"You seem to think that this isn't a big deal. Do you know who we're dealing with, Nabooru?" The girl in question rested a hand on her hip as she looked at her senior with a lack of interest, much to Ladina's dislike. "I don't think I need to tell you."

"You're right- you don't. Because it's not some kind of big deal. He got to the Temple by himself- isn't that proof enough?"

"How am I supposed to believe this? And on that matter, how am I supposed to know he has the strength to make it back, as well?"

"It's not like I carried him. He got through the sandstorm once- and he did it again."

"That's not the point of the test, though!" Nabooru looked up at the sky briefly, as if taking notice of the sun's position in the sky.

"Listen, I need to go report to Aveil. If you still doubt him, look at his back. That's proof enough." Nabooru walked past her senior, and turned to wave Link a goodbye. "Later, kid."

He watched the girl walk off into the Fortress. He did notice one thing different about her clothing that contrasted the white's- the baggy pants weren't so baggy. He almost blushed as he watched her leave.

Her figure was almost hypnotizing- much like Gelbooru's, despite her agent-like status. Much like any of the White's, actually, since they weren't as active as the soldiers. He felt entranced as he watched her figure, mesmerized, his eyes blankly observing her rhythmic movement.

Staying here really wasn't good for his spiritual health.

"Your back, Link?"

He nodded at the older woman before him, reaching around his shoulder and removing the Mirror Shield from his shoulders, letting it's bottom drop to the ground as he held it.

"... Hm. I'm assuming that you recovered that by your lonesome?"

"Yes. Nabooru asked me to help her infiltrate Twinrova's nest and get the item key to defeating them."

"Very well." She nodded, and motioned with her hand for the girl behind her to leave. She nodded before rushing off. "This is where I would normally grant you membership, but considering your case, I'll have to hold off on that until some things are sorted out, and I don't trust you with it until negotiations are final. Just because you have the endurance, strength, and spirit to be one of us does not mean you may. You've yet to earn it. I will, however, allow you to hold onto the Mirror Shield until I get orders from my superiors, as a reward for surviving the test."

He nodded again. Being able to go about his business without escorting would have be nice. He had suspected something like this would happen, anyway. He still, more or less, had Aveil's favor for him, and even then he didn't necessarily need the membership card, despite it being nice to have.

Off in the distance, he spotted the girl of the Purple returning with his escort party. "I'm sure you could use the rest, so I sent her to retrieve your escorts so you may retreat to your quarters until we figure out what to do with you."

He didn't like the way she worded that, but he was fairly confident that he wasn't going to be executed. The test that they just put him through was proof of this.

Or, that could have been a way to kill him off as well. Executing a Hylian ambassador wouldn't help the relationship between the Gerudo and Hylians, so it could have been an attempt to fake innocence.

He'd worry about it after he got some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Desert Sunrise

* * *

><p>The pleasant aroma of a familiar perfume began to cloud his senses as his hands explored her body absentmindedly, without command. He felt almost helpless despite him towering over her nearly cowering body underneath him, just because he knew that he couldn't possibly turn her down at this point. He knew full and well that she could command him if she knew, despite him being temporarily dominant. However, it wasn't anything he was going to let her know.<p>

An almost pitiful moan rung through his ears as his manhood grinded against her groin forcefully, taking hold of her neck and pressing his lips against hers aggressively. It was a cry of enjoyment, of stimulation. A grin formed on his lips once he broke lip contact, pleased to find this new side of her he had never experienced. It was an interesting development, compared to the usually cold, sometimes even harsh nature that she displayed towards him. It gave him a sense of dominance, to be able to bring out this new part of her personality at will whenever intimate like he was.

An almost instinctive growl emitted from him as he aligned his length and her core, leaving his tip to sink in lazily. He felt her shiver underneath him, and as sadistic as it seemed, his grin couldn't help but grow. Oh, what a wonderful change of demeanor she was displaying towards him. He didn't feel bad in the least, remembering all of the troubles that she had put him through, again, as sadistic as it seemed.

"At least... be gentle." She'd mutter, wrapping her arms around his neck in return.

More or less, he nodded and pierced the barrier with her quickly- sealing the deal and making her his. She let loose a shrill cry, grasping him ever-so tightly.

...

For the first time in a long time, Link awoke from his slumber and felt... refreshed, albeit frustrated. He felt like he hadn't gotten but three or four hours of sleep, but that was more than enough to fuel him for a day, or perhaps even two. He yawned as he rose, sat upright and looked up outside at the closed, makeshift window in the fort, taking note of the shining moonlight peeking through it's small cracks. The sun had set when he and Nabooru arrived, so it must've been night already... Which would explain the lack of heat that had been constant through all this time, and the now almost freezing atmosphere, which didn't help the cold sweat he had woken up in.

After falling to his feet, he felt less surprised, but more relieved to feel that subtle amount of energy pulsing through him, courtesy of a usual well-deserved rest. He sighed contently, enjoying the change of pace before making his away across the room and placing his shirt and under-armor back on, finding it more comfortable in the cold.

He contemplated going to one of the oases that Gelbooru had told him about and washing himself, as he hadn't cleansed his body since he was in Hyrule, and he didn't want to make any more bad impressions than he already had. Though, it was likely that his escort party had already gone to rest, and he wasn't exactly allowed to go out by himself at this point. But then again, when did he ever let those kind of things stop him? Some time out by himself would do nicely. He needed some time to think anyways, and sort this mess out.

He immediately recognized the cell he was held in last night. It was the same one that he passed by when he was sneaking about the Gerudo Fortress in the alternate timeline. A smirk formed on his lips as he rummaged through his things, reaching for his magical pouch. Deciding to leave the Mirror Shield here, he only took his sword and the hook-shot that he was provided with by Ladina.

It was foolish of them to let him keep it, but then again, how were they supposed to know he knew how to escape from this holding cell?

The window that he used the hook-shot to reach last time was closed, but there was enough room for him to stay stable up there long enough to open it and leap onto the roof of a nearby building. Night patrols didn't pay attention to him last time, but he wondered if they would notice this time around. It didn't look very stable, and something told him that it would be a bit noisy. It didn't seem likely that they would pay attention to the window all the way up there. He figured it was worth a try, since it worked last time.

He took aim and fired the hook-shot. It easily pierced the wooden door that kept most of the cold outside. A firm tug on it told Link that it was more or less secure, so he let it retract and lead him up towards his escape. He gained proper footing on the edge, and eased the window open slowly, peeking his head under to observe the night patrol. They were completely oblivious.

Part of him wondered why they wouldn't take any extra precautions when he told them he was able to stealth around the place. He knew they wouldn't have expected him to try and escape before the treaty meetings, but after them, it would've been understandable if his cell was properly guarded.

It kind of left a bad feeling in his gut. It was painfully easy.

He shook the thought from his head. It'd always been there. No point in turning back now, since there was kind of a hole from a hook-shot in his window.

Carefully, he scooted out from under the window and into the cold of the night. He wasted no time in his escape, and quickly, but silently, took a leap to the fortress building to his left. Part of him wanted to take the easy way out and hook-shot onto the fenced railing that went across the roof, but he was sure the patrol guards would detect him. It wasn't but a one, maybe one and a half difference floor between the two anyways.

He landed securely enough. His eyes darted about his surroundings- the Fortress had a rather simple design, and it wasn't exactly large, so it wouldn't be much of a problem to escape temporarily and go undetected. The only thing that worried him about it was getting past the guards. Last time, he just rendered them unconscious and moved on through the Fortress, but now he had to do it the old fashioned way.

He wondered if he was really doing this to get some time to think, or if it was just for an excuse to have some type of fun.

...

Link stared blankly out into the horizon as he watched the sun start to rise. It was something that he had saw many, many times, but he appreciated watching it nonetheless. If he was able to watch it rise, he normally would. It was more or less like a hobby of his, as odd as it sounded. It somehow helped him remember that each day was a clean slate- a new chance.

When he first came here, he suspected that this mission would be... well, not this difficult. Of course he didn't suspect it to be at all easy, that was because he had little experience at foreign relations and politics. Now, he found it difficult because he may or may not be able to survive here. He was unsure if he could keep up these tasks he was assigned. He'd gambled his life here twice already, and his temper and patience had been tested several times. It wasn't much as keeping up with their standards of living that bothered him- it was living here knowing that his life could be taken at any moment. There was still the strong possibility of being executed.

He sighed as he watched the sun rise over the land. He had expected things to go in a completely different direction than they did. Had he known so many complications would arise, he wouldn't have volunteered to go. Still, he didn't know if things here at the Gerudo Fortress had gotten better or worse.

He ran a hand across the thin dirt that lay on the ground as he lay next to a small stream of water. It'd been long since he took his leave. While it would have been a wise decision to go back as soon as he could... he really didn't want to. Link was unsure if this desire to be alone was him wanting to be isolated from people after all that had happened, if he was simply him not being fond of having to be locked up and supervised, if he wanted to think out this 'Oni' predicament he had found himself tied up with, or even fear of his fate there with the possibility of being executed.

Come to think of it, those were probably all just excuses.

He was unsure of why he felt that he needed to be away, but in the end, he didn't need a reason. He turned his head up from his head and focused his vision instead on the slowly brightening sky.

For some reason, the situation with the Gerudo reminded of Termina's moon looming over the kingdom in the sky, threatening death and destruction for him and everyone else around him.

Absentmindedly, he laughed quietly to himself at the comparison he had just made in his head.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Link?"

His ears perked at this voice, interrupting his train of thought. Instinctively, his hand twitched towards the blade that lay next to him, but he recognized the voice and decided not to. He rolled his head to the side and was met by none other than Aveil. She looked particularly irritated, resting a hand on her hip. That answered his question as to if he'd been suspected of escaping yet or not.

She spoke after he gave her no reply. "Do you care to explain to me as to why you felt the need to break out of your holding cell, flee the Fortress in the middle of the night, and have the nerve to sit out here on the boundary of the river?"

"... I wanted some fresh air."

"You couldn't have waited until morning?"

"I don't think I'd have been able to sleep through the night."

A frustrated, almost tired sigh was heard as she placed a hand on her forehead. "Do you realize the trouble you could be putting yourself in?"

He sat up after she finished, placing his hat back over his blonde hair. He rose an eyebrow at her choice of wordplay and partially smiled. "Could?"

She made her way to him before sitting down next to him. It didn't seem as if she was here to take him back to the Fortress, but at the same time, she normally hadn't been the one to show any of those signs. He couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind for him, after everything that had happened.

"Yes, could." She leaned back partially, supporting herself with her hands behind her back as she joined him in staring out into the horizon. "I don't think I need to tell you at this point, but I don't want to see you being punished unfairly. You're a kind person, and you didn't deserve Samiyah putting you on the spotlight like she did the other day. To be fair, I probably should've stepped in at some point and let you tell your side of the story, but I guess I was just so shocked as to how someone as kind and... promising as you, wound up to be the reason for our King's end."

He didn't say anything in return, remembering the encounter that he had with Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle all that time ago, but he did flash her a friendly smile, in which she was able to recognize his forgiveness.

"In all honesty, had I been in your shoes, I'd have done the same thing... you know, When Ganondorf was plotting against your home."

He redirected his gaze to her, eyes wide, surprised at her sudden display of disloyalty for her former King. He didn't reply, but instead merely listened to what she had to say to him.

"We came to our decision yesterday whenever you were at the Temple with Nabooru, Link. A death sentence... wouldn't be fair to you. If the King of Hyrule would have came to our Fortress one of us suspected he meant harm to our home and sisters, not a single one of us would hesitate to stop his plans, and that's all you did- you protected your home. You can rest easy, Link, your life is not at risk anymore."

He tried not to show it, but he eased up whenever he heard this. Still, he couldn't help but feel suspicious as he heard this. The two of them shared a tense silence before Aveil realized that he hadn't anything to say, and she had then quickly, somehow, picked up on his still present reluctance.

"... I can tell that you're still hesitating to trust me, Link. What's the matter?"

"I'm questioning as to whether or not I can trust you still. If that decision was made when I was out on Ladina's membership test, then why was I placed in a cell last night?"

"Ladina was given no higher orders to have you escorted to your prison cell. Matter of fact, she was given no orders at all. I imagined that after you completed the test and proved yourself to us, and her, she'd have left you be. But it seems that since Nabooru was there with you during that mission, she might be pondering if Nabooru had helped you throughout your test or not."

"So you're saying that it was a mistake?"

"More or less, I suppose. She might have just thought that she had to do something with you."

It seemed reasonable enough, but even then, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. If he hadn't trusted her as much as he did up to this point, he'd almost think that she was lying to him. He didn't want to doubt her, and he certainly didn't want to question her honesty because of the risk of his life, but he would take what she had to say, as she had done him no wrong. He lay his suspicions to rest. If he wanted to make any progress, he'd have to start trusting them sooner or later, as hard as it may seem to be.

"... Okay." He muttered, though loud enough for Aveil to hear.

A long silence was shared between the two, no words being spoken for what seemed to be an eternity. He felt no need to speak- all that he wanted to hear had been discussed, and he was done with it.

"So you've been thinking, then? All this time?" She spoke up.

"Sorting my thoughts. Making sense of the past few days."

"Then, may I ask you a question, Link?"

"Feel free." Once again, she had struck his curiosity, since he really couldn't think of anything that needed to be touched upon at this point. He was kind of tired of thinking over the past few days, and as crazy as it sounded, he felt that he'd rather discuss politics at this point.

"The other night, when Koume and Kotake snuck into the Fortress and made their appearance... Not only did you know their names, Link, but you convinced them that you were Oni and theybelieved it. Koume and Kotake may be insane, but I trust their magical senses completely. And they sensed the Fierce Deity inside you."

... He wondered about that. It made sense when he thought about it, and he was almost certain that whenever he wore the mask of the Fierce Deity, that he never took it off. It made sense to assume that he and the Fierce Deity had fused, and he'd embedded into his soul, but Link never experienced any new sort of changes or anything. He'd always been himself, nothing more, nothing less.

He was tempted to try and avoid the conversation. Try and throw her off, somehow, but he knew he was thinking ridiculously. He couldn't use deception with them. If he wanted to treat the Gerudo as equals and further understand them, he had to be truthful with them.

"Aveil, I'm not Oni, but I encountered his spirit once."

She didn't looked surprised, more like she was suspecting something like this, and he expected that much. She continued to stare at him, and motioned for him to go on.

"I was a kid when it happened. Around the same age I was whenever I had my encounter with Ganondorf, actually. I... " He sighed before continuing, wondering how he should word this. There's no way she would believe him if he told her everything that happened in Termina, the kingdom he viewed as some kind of alternate version of Hyrule, but at the same time, he couldn't lie to her. "I was visiting some friends of mine. Their names were Cremia and Romani. They live in a place called Termina. It was a reasonably small village south of Hyrule Fields. A Skull Kid appeared in the village, and at that age I didn't have the strength to protect everyone from him, or defeat him. Since there was no real form of protection besides the village swordsman, he did quite a bit of damage to the place. I moved to face him upfront, just me and him. I knew I couldn't beat him head on, even with my arsenal of items and skills. Just before we started to fight, though, The Fierce Deity presented himself to me in the form of a mask. I didn't know what to do with it, and at that time, all hope was pretty much lost, so I put the mask on, and..."

"And what?" She asked adamantly, after he had stopped speaking. She looked interested, like she believed it.

"I took on the form of Oni... that, or he had possessed my body. Since I really didn't have much control over what I was doing, it'd be reasonable to assume that he possessed me. I looked similar to how I look now- differences being an overwhelming source of power, a giant, mysterious spiraling blade that I used to slay the Skull Kid, and many different tribal markings that had appeared on my body. The Skull Kid really didn't stand a chance. Within minutes, Oni lay waste to the beast, and the last thing I remember doing in the form was passing out... and I woke up as myself."

"And what of the mask, Link?"

"I don't remember. When I came here, and after everything that happened that night with Twinrova, it left me thinking in my cell. I don't recall ever taking the mask off."

"Amazing... And that's why Twinrova... " Aveil whispered to herself, staring at Link. She rose to her feet abruptly, her entire demeanor changing from curious to estatic. "Dear Goddesses, you reallyare the one we've been waiting for, Link! This is truly a gift!"

He looked up at her grimly. "Keep it between us, Aveil."

"... What?" She looked flabbergasted, almost offended at the request he made. "Do you realize the importance of what you've just told me?"

"I'm still a representative of Hyrule, and I'm still here to better understand your people. I don't want any special treatment just because the soul of Oni resides within me."

"But... you're Oni, Link! You have a home, here, now!"

"I have a home in Hyrule, Aveil." He was normally a patient person, but having to repeat himself and her sudden outburst and assumptions weren't exactly music to his ears. "I'm still Link. I'm still the Hyrulian diplomat that's here to bring peace between the Gerudo and Hyrule. I'm nothing but a protector for my homelands, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Then why do you go back?"

"They need me."

"Do they really? I know they need you when a monster or a war pops up, but do they really need you in the castle? Do they need you as a diplomat?"

He thought about it, and the answer was no. There was no reason he couldn't live somewhere else, maybe do something else, and still be a hero. He'd only stayed with Zelda this long because she said she needed him, but did she actually? Would someone who needed his skills treat him like the council did? Would someone who needed his love treat him like Zelda did, almost never showing him affection and sometimes even hiding her thoughts from him?

No. As much as he hated to admit it, he was not needed there.

"I didn't mean to make you question your life. I'm just saying that while your devotion is admirable, there's no reason to give up your own goals. There are ways to follow your heart and still be a hero when you need to be. You're not…happy at the castle, are you?"

He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't. He tried in vain to remember the last time he was happy there. "No."

She scooted over until their skin touched, and then some, and he was suddenly aware of how little she wore. He could see right down her cleavage. Why did these women dress so provocatively?

"A hero is a wonderful thing... but if you lose sight of your dreams to become one, that's all you'll ever be. Don't you think you could be something... more?"

It was hard for him to think straight with the heat returning from the rising sun and the beautiful woman leaning against him. Desperately, he tried to remember his goals from seven years ago. He knew he'd had them, and he was sure they didn't involve being a courier for people he didn't respect. Zelda was in his dreams—or at least she had been—but obviously he wasn't in hers. She had no interest in maintaining a romantic relationship with him- and when he really thought about it, that was the only goal that he had. Everything else in his life was a result of the prophecy that he was destined to fulfill. "…Sometimes."

"Then why not stay here? With us?"

He clenched his eyes shut in frustration. He really didn't have a reason not to. He fit in so much better here, but everything that he had was back at Hyrule. He still dreamed of Zelda, and he still wanted a relationship with her, even if she didn't. He couldn't leave his home... at least, not yet.

He pulled away from the contact with her and rose to his feet, dusting his feet off and grabbing the blade that laid next to him. "I'm going back to the Fortress."

"You'll be arrested for attempting escape, Link. Let me go with you. At the very least, we can take you back to the room in the Fortress we'd planned for you to stay in after you refused to stay in our late King's room. I could send someone down with some food."

He didn't remember eating anything but potions for the last three days, so perhaps that wouldn't be a bad idea. He could eat breakfast, and start the day over again.

Not like he had much of a choice, anyways.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Another Test

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><p>Someone visited his holding cell sooner than he expected, but to his disappointment Samiyah did not bring breakfast with her.<p>

"Good, you're awake," the older woman greeted cheerlessly.

When she said nothing more, Link stared questioningly and saw the same suspicion she'd shown when he first arrived at the desert. Her slightly aged skin wrinkled around her narrowed eyes as she spoke at last, straight to the point.

"I want to know who you really are. We both agree that you're not Oni, but you still know magic, and you can compete with our queen in battle. I refuse to believe you are a simple diplomat." Despite her accusatory tone, Link felt relieved; it seemed Aveil had refrained from revealing their recent discussion to the others, at least for now. "You have more influence in what your monarch decides than you claimed to have the other night, especially if what our spies have told me is true about your choice in mates."

It shouldn't have surprised him that they watched him and Zelda since they had a network of spies in Hyrule Castle. Nevertheless, her statement shocked him, for he was used to never speaking about his relationship, even in private with Zelda. As angry as it made him, he knew he could not reveal it to anyone for fear of the political scandal a peasant courting royalty would cause. "I have no mate," he said, and technically it was true; he and Zelda had not had sex.

Somehow that didn't make him feel any better.

"I'm aware. She refuses your advances. It must be frustrating not getting what you want, my lord." Link blinked. From prisoner to diplomat to lord…what was going on? He might have thought she was mocking him, but Samiyah didn't seem the type to let her blatant distrust turn to insults as Abia did. "I can help," she continued in a startlingly soft tone. "I have requested a moment alone with you. Is there anything I can do to put you at ease? Perhaps I can…" Her next word hissed through gritted teeth. "…persuade you to have your monarch overlook it if a Gerudo occasionally journeys into Hyrule."

"What?" he asked stupidly, his cheeks heating up as she stood in front of him, their faces almost touching.

"Come, Hylian. This is what you call quid pro quo, is it not? Equivalent exchange, Nayru's law?" She tried to smile coyly, but her tensed muscles and the anger in her golden eyes ruined the illusion.

He hadn't been able to see in his room the other night, so he'd imagined Zelda when the thief broke into his room, but Samiyah's red hair and figure, fuller than those of her younger sisters, reminded him of Malon. And like the beautiful ranch woman frequently did, she was asking if she could do anything to help him relax. Link should have been nervous from her attention, genuine or not.

But he felt only horror at the implications of her offer. "Aveil said you were one of the only sisters experienced in foreign relations," he realized. "What have Hyrule's past ambassadors done to you?" She only continued her advance. "I'm not here to take advantage of you."

"It must be me," she stated firmly, soft tone vanishing, and he was grateful that the Gerudo had little practice hiding their emotions. "I won't allow you to do this to my younger sisters."

Her hand lightly touched his chest. The motion lacked any affection, yet despite her obvious animosity she performed it easily, like this was not the first time she had forced herself to do it. "I mean it," he said, grabbing her wrist to remove her hand. "I'm not here to take advantage of anyone."

Her eyes widened at the contact as if she expected violence to follow, and he realized too late that he should not have touched her without consent. "Then what are you here for?" she demanded, eyes piercing him for any sign of deception or wicked intent.

He withdrew his hand and exhaled, letting his righteous fury fade. "I'm sorry. I'm here to help our races better understand each other."

"No ambassador from Hyrule has ever come here for anything other than his own gain. If you don't want sexual favors, you must have some other ulterior motive. Let's go."

Ironically, Link felt safer as she pointed twin scimitars at him and forced him outside the fortress; at least she had dropped the seductress act. He squinted against the harsh sun, and the women patrolling the perimeter paused in their routine. Some glared before turning their large noses up and marching on, some smiled hopefully, and some quickly turned away to avoid the controversy he had started (and possibly a scolding from Samiyah, since she was second-in-command). But the moment Samiyah was turned away from them, he felt glowing gold eyes on him. Some merely observed with interest, but his instincts told him that others were prepared to strike if he made a wrong move.

As Hyrule's least experienced diplomat, Link occasionally had trouble controlling his impulses, and his instincts had saved his life too many times for him to ignore them as the tip of her sword pressed into his back. He knew he could escape this dangerous position (he had done so before), but he kept his hand off the hilt of his sword.

"You haven't taken your gloves off since you got here, despite the heat that weakens your kind. What are you hiding? A birthmark, perhaps? A clue to your true identity?"

"A mark, yes, but I have no family that shares it," he answered honestly, not wanting to reveal the Triforce. He laughed inwardly at the idea of Ganondorf being his family, but when he had the same thought about Zelda, a pang of longing crushed his good humor. After seven years of faithful service to Hyrule, he still was not of a high enough class for them to publicly admit their relationship (or lack thereof). How many more years would it take? He tried to forget Aveil's question of whether he was happy at the castle.

"Good morning, Link." Aveil appeared as if sensing his thoughts, and Samiyah removed the blade from his back. Seeming not to notice, the queen smiled brightly and sauntered to him. "We have a saying: 'That man knows he is a fool is the only seed which women need sow.' The Goddess of Sand saw Oni's worth even when his sisters, the three goddesses of creation, exiled him."

She wore the same amorous yet teasing expression she'd used after her fight with him, and he wondered if she mentioned Oni just so she could tease him without going against his wishes and revealing his secret. Apparently she was more skilled at being indirect than Samiyah. Although, Zelda was like that as well, so perhaps all royalty developed that skill out of necessity.

"As Her daughters," Aveil continued, "we have that same ability to judge a man's worth." As if on cue, more golden eyes watched intently, and he had nowhere to hide in the glaring sun. "As I've said, I no longer believe that all men are worthless. I know your worth, but you must prove it to my sisters."

Abia, his usual escort, emerged from another part of the fortress to join them, looking strangely determined.

"Abia, you and Link will meet Nabooru at the Spirit Temple again," Samiyah instructed before turning to him. "Take the Mirror Shield. We will know from what happens who you really are."

"We're going back?" he asked, puzzled.

"The first visit was just to spy on them and collect information to determine their punishment. Nabooru learned that they were using their magic for something big. She has already left to scout ahead and prepare for your arrival," informed Samiyah.

Link meant to ask whether his first test had meant anything at all, but when Samiyah looking pointedly at him, he realized this was a different kind of test. Despite her anger, she was giving him a chance to prove himself trustworthy. Courage filled him as the correct path became clear, and his fatigue from yesterday's trip vanished.

"Abia," she continued, "I am sending you specifically because I know you are just as suspicious about our guest as I am, but do not let your temper distract you. Your mission comes first."

"I will bring back their heads," declared Abia, gaze hard and focused like she was already fighting.

"You mean to kill them?" Link asked.

"What of it?" the young purple-garbed warrior snapped. "Their punishment is up to the Gerudo, not to you. For hurting our sisters, they deserve death."

"I'm not disagreeing. I just want to avoid an incident between our kingdoms. Hyrule's court will want to know in great detail what will happen to the ones responsible for the moblin attacks on Kakariko."

"I will try to be diplomatic when it comes time to discuss this with them," answered Aveil, managing to sound slightly less bored than she had during the failed meeting in the fortress, and Link was glad that at least one Gerudo took him seriously. "Abia will escort you to the river if you wish to gather water with the whites again today. Drink while you are able. And Link?" She smirked. "I have high hopes for you, and much planned for your future. Don't disappoint me."

Without a word, Abia turned and started walking, and he noticed that she resembled a younger, more hotheaded version of the Samiyah. She marched beside him petulantly, staring straight ahead as if the thought of turning in his direction disgusted her, though she was not so enraged that she had to watch her feet in the sand as he did.

Atop the cliff over the river, Link saw that the women who collected water with him last time were already here, climbing over rock and wading through sand with practiced ease. Suddenly recalling his upcoming duel with Aveil, he assessed his abilities in the desert and found them lacking; his main strengths in battle were footwork and endurance, but those were severely compromised in the heat and sand.

Maybe he wasn't as ideal for this diplomatic mission as he'd thought upon accepting it from Zelda.

"Abia."

"What now?"

"Can I train with you after we're done?"

"You're not worth my time," she said and began her descent, deliberately making it more difficult for herself by not using a rope.

Link felt eyes on him again as he followed. The white nearest him froze in her climb, despite her old arms shaking more violently under a pot of water the longer she held it. "W-we are honored to have you working with us a second time, Oni. We whites thought you would have wanted to do something less menial with the purples and reds instead."

Unused to people addressing him with respect, he stumbled around his words. "Well, um...it may be menial, but it's still important, and I am not above it."

"Hi, Link!" someone yelled from below, waving, and he met her on the ground by the rapids.

"Hello, Gelbooru," he greeted with a genuine smile. When the short-haired girl smiled back, the woman still making the climb spoke again.

"Ah, good. There will be less fighting among our younger sisters if you have already chosen the leader for your harem."

"H-harem?" Link blushed terribly; the way she smiled at him, like she was truly happy that Oni had apparently returned and thought his having a harem was inevitable, made it worse. Impossible images of women (most notably the princess) vying for his attention flooded his mind before he forced them away. No self-respecting woman would lower herself like that, he told himself. "I'm...I'm not Oni, and..."

Gelbooru looked embarrassed as well and seemed to shrink into herself, her gaze focused inward, but her brown skin concealed any blush that might have appeared. The moment passed quickly, however, and work resumed as it must, as it always did. Abia stayed far enough away that they wouldn't have to speak to each other, but close enough to keep an eye on him. Filling one of the larger clay jars with water, he shifted uncomfortably under its weight as the Gerudo on the cliff reverently stepped aside when he needed to pass. He had only recently accepted that he and Oni had a bond, so how could so many Gerudo already believe they were the same being?

"The only authority in the desert is power," a voice behind him said when he returned to the river. It took him a moment to recognize Yumn by herself since he was used to seeing her and Nailah together. "You asked Abia for help with combat," she clarified. "You won't be able to move in the sand like you do in Hyrule, so you'll have to rely more on brute strength when you fight our queen."

Gelbooru stopped her task to pay attention to her words, and he remembered that she wanted to be a fighter. "Can you show me how you fight in the desert?" he asked, but Abia's yell from afar cut off the purple's response.

"What are you doing with the whites? Report back to Samiyah immediately!" Link closed his eyes and resisted the urge to groan, wondering why she insisted on being as far from him as possible while still interfering in his affairs.

"You can't tell me what to do; you're not a red," the newcomer sneered, and Link was struck by how different she was from Nailah. While Nailah had seemed eager to indulge in everything going on around her as well, she had still been cheerful. Yumn, however, appeared to enjoy her fellow soldier's frustration as she said tauntingly, "You should be thanking him after he saved you from the monster in Hyrule Field. It's obvious that you refused to help him because you are unable to." Link and Gelbooru flinched, but Yumn didn't look worried about Abia's temper as she addressed Link once more. "It is wonderful to meet someone so…powerful."

Abia stomped toward them, not showing any weakness in her injured leg. "Leave, unless you want to see how much power I have."

She smirked. "You already showed your power during that fight. But you're right. I have to get back to Samiyah." She looked at him one last time before leaving, and he again felt that his soul was being scrutinized. Her eyes burned like a fire trying to melt his resistance against her blatant desire. Link stood in place, too dumbfounded to speak or move until her gaze moved away from him.

Abia snapped him out of whatever spell Yumn had cast on him. "We're done here. I'm checking the others for injuries, and then you and I are leaving." She paused mid-step when she noticed that more people stared from afar after the confrontation. His long ears heard other them whisper "Oni" excitedly and giggle (he never thought he'd hear a Gerudo do that), and Abia seemed to hear some of it too, because her tone became more aggressive. "I don't care if you're the king of Hyrule. If you take advantage of my sisters, I will cut your ball off."

Link decided not to correct her belief that males had only one testicle, and when she left, he turned back to Gelbooru. Oddly, she hadn't spoken the entire time her two sisters were in each other's faces. Gerudo were famous for their spirit, yet others looked down on her so much that one could mistake her for being weak and demure.

"Will you show me how your sisters fight?" he asked, and the white's eyes widened before darting left and right, looking for anyone else he might be talking to. "You want to learn, right? And the others won't teach you? This way we can help each other."

"Sure!" she chirped, smiling brilliantly as she had when he first arrived and she asked if he was a prince. "Are you going to use your sword?"

Even as he stood motionless, sand pooled around his feet, inhibiting his agility and rejecting his worth as a warrior. "No. My sword favors footwork. I need to learn to compensate for the sand if I want to understand how you fight. Come at me."

She shocked him by lunging forward immediately to push him (evidently, even those Gerudo not trained to fight were always ready for one), but he caught her hands in his and pushed back. Their feet dug into the earth, their fingers intertwined, and their palms pressed together. Link quickly realized the truth of Yumn's words, for pushing against the ground with his legs only made his feet slide and sink. Everything came down to arm strength.

But despite his advantage in that area, he could not overpower her. True to her identity as a child of the Sand Goddess, her feet became one with her element and obstinately remained fixed no matter how many times he slipped. After carefully judging how far he could step without falling, he closed the distance between them and forced their arms above their heads, throwing her hands down to her sides and releasing their grip.

Then they stood toe to toe, her face slightly beneath his due to the height difference. Link was in excellent shape, but Gelbooru panted from their prolonged struggle. The tips of her breasts touched his chest as she looked up at him, her breath parting her lips and...

As a knight, Link rarely socialized with women. His training as a loyal servant of Hyrule emphasized denial of the appetites of the flesh, and the effect that such minimal physical contact had on his thoughts alarmed him into backing away, nearly falling over in the process.

"Link?" she asked, regarding him with confusion before understanding set in. "You're very lonely, aren't you?"

"W-what?" He calmed himself, recognizing that she spoke normally, without the provocative tone Samiyah, Yumn, or the thief from the other night had used.

"Before she deserted us, my mother said she could tell my father was lonely by the way he fought, but I never understood her until now. It's like fighting is all you have. It's so…"

"Fierce," he finished, studying her. "When you stared at me here the other day, you were looking for the Fierce Deity, weren't you?"

"I was looking for my father. I thought seeing another man would give me an idea of what he looked like, of what my mother left us for, but it hasn't."

"I never met my father either, or my mother. And though it wasn't because I was an orphan, my friends belittled me too when I was growing up. A boy named Mido...pulled my pants down in front of my whole village when I was little."

Her laugh shook his composure, and he wondered why he was sharing his past with her. He had never told anyone that story, even Zelda. Nonetheless, he was glad it made her happy. Now that they had stopped shoving, he remembered that she had given him his first kiss, and the taste of her lips refused to leave his memory. Would he ever feel such affection from Zelda? For that matter, would he ever feel anyone's affection again?

Abia again saved him from his thoughts, walking past and muttering that it was time to go without giving him a second glance. Gelbooru was among the first of the workers to return to higher ground, while Abia and Link stayed behind. Noticing that she carefully watched the elderly (a safety precaution after what happened last time, he suspected), he did the same, and later they parted from the group which headed toward the fortress.

Even before they reached the great gate leading into the haunted wasteland, Link's head ached from the sun and his skin burned, and with a mental sight he remembered far too late that no one had brought him the food Aveil promised him. He did not want to drink any of his last blue potion in case the mission did not go well, but recognizing the danger of traveling in his weakened state, he reluctantly took a small sip.

"So our lifestyle is too much for you after all," his companion sneered.

Link said nothing and focused on following the markers through the mist of sand that tried to bite at his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Spirit of a Hero

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><p>"Abia and Oni! Hurry up, follow me!" a painfully familiar voice rhymed. Link noticed that Abia gritted her teeth at what the Poe called him, but they were too busy following the frolicking spirit for anything to come of it. It bounced in midair, changing directions on a whim to some private game like the fairies in Kokiri Forest.<p>

"Goodbye and good luck! Try not to fuck up!"

Stunned by its parting line, Link wondered if the tension between him and Abia had kept it from having fun. Or perhaps that last line was to get back at him for walking instead of giving chase when he and Nabooru had crossed the wasteland together. It was too late to ask now, and his partner was already moving forward without him.

Something boiled inside of her as they marched beneath the angry sun. She stubbornly kept to herself as she had at the river that morning, but somehow it was getting worse. She moved quickly, forcing him to sprint to keep up, and when leevers appeared she brought her twin scimitars down with more force than was necessary to kill them. Her blade splashed specks of blood onto her skin, which the wind and sand smeared until she was rank with it. Still he said nothing, and at length whatever had been festering inside her the whole day snapped.

"Why don't you respect me?" she demanded, grabbing his arm viciously to turn him toward her. He yanked it back, but she didn't give him a chance to respond. "You don't respect any of us. You don't respect me, you disrespect our leader by even thinking you can beat her in a fight..."

"I didn't come here to look down on anyone," he said as patiently as he could. "My only goal is to understand everyone better so our races can have a better future."

"You even thought you were too good for the woman who snuck into your room the other night." She smirked when his eyes widened. "That's right. Everyone knows about it."

Once his shock left, Link decided he didn't care if everyone knew, because he had made the correct choice that night. "I didn't sleep with her because she thought I was someone else. She wanted the Fierce Deity, not me."

"Oh, so now you're not Oni?"

"Why are you doing this?" he asked at last, feeling a headache from the sun. He needed to take another sip of potion, or else dehydration combined with the smell of blood would make him sick. "You don't hate me. That's not all there is to you."

"How would you know?"

"I know...because I try to understand." She'd enjoyed his discomfort at the negotiations, but he was sure that when Aveil ordered his arrest, Abia had shown worry for the briefest of moments. And when he helped the injured old woman by the river, Abia's thank you had been so quiet, so unguarded that it had to be sincere.

All he saw now was anger, though. It seemed forced, like she was hiding something. "You are the most infuriating…"

"What are you trying to prove?" he asked more harshly than he meant to. If she was still angry that a man had saved her and wanted to prove herself better than him, then he could respect that, but Samiyah herself had said this mission was more important. "What are you afraid of?"

They stared each other down without blinking, squinting against the grains of earth assaulting their faces. Abia shook with suppressed emotion until she broke their gaze, looking straight ahead so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Asshole," she muttered. "Hylian scum."

Link ignored the insults and resigned himself to having an enraged partner. There was no use in getting upset about something beyond his control.

A towering building appeared behind the veil of sand, signaling their arrival at the Desert Colossus. The enormous carving of the goddess of the sand etched into the Spirit Temple rose above the dusty winds as if to watch over her domain. Like the Gerudo, the idol wore nothing to cover its slim stomach, and upon seeing its great sandstone nose, Link observed his companion. Slightly younger than he was, she resembled the carving more closely than her sisters did insofar as body type and facial features, and he wondered if that was the reason for her pride.

Link wiped his forehead in relief when they stepped out of the sun, comforted by the temple's unchanged interior, but Abia frowned. "She's not here."

"Nabooru? Should we wait for her?"

"No. She knew where to meet us, so something must have happened. We'll have to continue without her."

Her lack of concern for the master thief surprised Link after how worried she had been for the white who injured herself by the river the other day. "Are you sure? Something...doesn't feel right." He wasn't sure what he meant by that. Premonitions and foresight were Zelda's forte, not his.

"Then we are going to make it right. I will not fail Samiyah."

Link's instincts were sharp from the many temples he's faced, but this felt different from the usual warning. He felt nauseous from the atmosphere as he had from the sight of Ganondorf's room back at the fortress, and he checked his back to make sure he still had the Mirror Shield. "What exactly was the plan the plan for killing them?" he asked, wondering why the Gerudo would send only three people for such a task.

"You'll know after I take them down without your help," she answered arrogantly, her short hair bouncing with each sure step. "Now be quiet, or they'll know we're coming. We're taking the fight to them."

Having cleared it in both timelines now, Link already knew the path Abia led them down would take them to Twinrova's lair. No monsters or obstacles stopped them, but his dread only grew. Unlike Zelda, Link could not ordinarily sense magic. For him to catch this meant it had to be massive.

At the heart of the temple, two shrill voices shrieked, and Link and Abia shared an uneasy glance at how no words were spoken. He began to think the witches had truly gone mad as Aveil had said, and following Abia's lead, he pressed himself against a wall to listen to...bickering.

"This is your fault!"

"What? But we both cast the spell!"

"I only did it because I saw that you were going to!"

"Grrr...that stupid girl. If she hadn't been sneaking around, none of this would've happened. I wanted to obey Oni so he'd like me again, but now he's going to kill us!"

"He never liked you, you old hag! He only tolerated you because he liked me!"

"Old? We're the same age!"

Hoping they weren't talking about Nabooru, Link peeked into the boss lair and, to his horror, found an Iron Knuckle. Just like the first time he'd fought Nabooru, she wore orange armor instead of the usual red. The enormous ax she held as she stood perfectly still was just as frightening as it had been then. But why didn't this room feel like the source of the horrible aura? Did they have yet another enemy to worry about?

Before he could think up an answer, Abia charged by him into the room, apparently serious about facing them alone. Not about to let that happen, he ran after her.

"Ah! Kotake, intruders!"

The ice-haired witch screamed in fright and threw a freezing projectile at Abia. At the same time, the witch with flaming hair pointed a finger, and a ball of light flew toward Link's face. It wasn't fire, though, and it passed straight through the Mirror Shield, knocking him off his feet. Stupid, he thought to himself as he picked himself up. If Nabooru couldn't hide from them, then of course he and Abia wouldn't be able to.

He turned to see how Abia fared and watched her slip on her now frozen leg as she tried to stand. "Goddess damn it! It would be the same leg the moblins got!" she snarled, trying and failing to put distance between herself and the enemies.

Link snarled as well. It seemed the Gerudo's plan for terminating Twinrova had rested on Nabooru's shoulders, not Abia's, and he lifted his gaze to glare at Twinrova.

"O-Oni! I'm sorry! W-We didn't know it was you, and I just acted on instinct!"

"Instinct?!" he shouted, suddenly furious. "Three times?"

"Please forgive us, we didn't mean to attack you or our sisters!" The twins said at once, placing their hands together in prayer and shaking on their broomsticks.

"Twinrova!" he roared, and even Abia looked at him after that yell. Link felt like snapping their brittle old bones, and with a start he clutched his head. "What's happening?"

"W-well, as you know, we used to use this temple as a safe location to practice our brainwashing spell..."

"And, like the one we accidentally used on the intruder who came before you, it makes the victim thirst for power. It brings out the their inner rage and desires until they can't control themselves."

Link's eyes widened. So the spell they used on him wasn't just meant to knock him down. "Remove your spell from me and Nabooru! Now!"

"W-we can't. But don't worry! It's only temporary."

"Yes, and it will end more quickly if you have a target for your lust. We are willing to provide one for you. Ready Kotake?"

"Ready, Koume."

The demented women flew around each other, their circles becoming smaller until they seemed to merge into one rotating mass. Link readied himself as he felt the dark magic that had unnerved him since they entered the temple. He widened his stance to dodge the moment they unveiled their tactic...

Only for them to stop spinning and wink at him as one body. The younger, more attractive, and significantly more underdressed fused form of Twinrova hovered to ground level.

"We created this form just for you. We offer our body to you, to use as many times as you want until you are yourself again!" they said with an eagerness which only increased his fury.

"Get lost!" he shouted, scaring them so much that they immediately popped back into their separate forms and flew off screaming.

"Sorry, Oni!"

"Forgive us!"

Even with them gone, he still held his head. "They got away," Abia seethed, but Link didn't care about that. Walking to her, he offered his last potion, which, like last time, she slapped away. "I don't need your help!"

"You need to drink this or you could lose your leg," he said impatiently, but before the argument could continue the sound of shifting metal plates reached his long ears. "Please, not now..." he begged aloud, realizing he no longer had enough control of his own body to keep his thoughts hidden.

The Iron Knuckle came to life and marched toward them, indifferent to his plea. Tossing the potion aside, his companion managed to stand on her ice-encased leg.

"Abia, before you attack, that's Nabooru."

"How can that be Nabooru? That armor and ax are far too big for any normal person to wield."

As though it had been building its rage, the suit suddenly ran toward them with a speed which should have been impossible for its size. As it swung its battle ax (longer than Link was tall) in a horizontal arc to decapitate both of them, Abia dove at it since she couldn't run, striking its leg with a scimitar as she slid past it along the floor.

Link would have been impressed had he been able to think clearly, but all he could picture was crushing the enemy before him, along with anyone else who stood in his way. Ducking under the swipe, he struck the armor covering the leg opposite the one Abia hit, and the iron greaves fell onto the floor, creating small cracks in the stone with their weight. From her position on the ground, Abia gawked in wonder at the Gerudo's signature baggy pants.

Link didn't have time to gawk as the double-headed blade crushed the pillar he had been standing in front of moments ago. He rolled and stood, perfectly prepared to deal with this enemy after beating several like it during his past quests, and he was not surprised when Nabooru's lack of leg armor allowed her to run at him more quickly.

Normally the sight of such slender legs carrying such an absurd amount of upper body weight would have amused him, but the spell was taking over much more quickly than he would have liked. Remembering how viciously Nabooru had attacked him in the alternate timeline, Link realized the spell made her want to crush everything in her path, and he wondered how long he had until the spell made him act the same way.

An overhead vertical swipe this time. It felt like the oversized weapon shook the room when it impacted the floor, but he didn't let the quaking earth shake him as he leapt into the air for his own overhead strike. The shoulder armor was severed, and Abia at last managed to stand again and attacked her from behind with multiple quick strikes, where he knew the armor was weakest. The breastplate fell, and in a rage Nabooru spun in a complete circle with her weapon extended, forcing him to leap back and Abia to fall down.

"Gah!" Abia cried in pain as the ice around her leg cracked, and he knew she would not be able to get up again.

That was fine, though, because he was almost finished. Before the possessed warrior could halt the rotational momentum of her heavy weapon, Link rushed forward and struck the horned helmet. It fell off, revealing Nabooru's face, her eyes blank and impossibly wide like Twinrova's eyes. Abia crawled backward, seeing that Link had been correct about the knight's identity, and he relaxed now that the short fight was over.

...Only to be tossed through the air when Nabooru's ax slammed into his side.

The force behind the blade should have been enough to cut him in two, but this was not the first time the chainmail beneath his tunic had saved his life. Nonetheless, while his armor shielded him from cuts and stabs, it offered little protection against the crushing blows or axes and warhammers, and as he hit the ground he knew from the familiar pain that at least one rib was broken.

"Link!" Abia cried, and furious part of him which was growing by the second thought sarcastically about how perfect it was that she was finally showing something other than anger toward him. Holding his battered side and forcing himself to his feet, he glared at the Gerudo who took another swing at him, now faster than ever thanks to all the extra weight she shed. Link rolled behind a pillar to give himself time to recuperate.

Why wasn't she freed from the spell yet? In the other timeline he had only to remove her armor to remove her spell, so why-

The answer came to him and he swore out loud, not caring that it gave away his position. He didn't have the Master Sword, the power to repel evil, this time. All he had done was make her faster.

Why could nothing ever be simple and clean? "If you want to beat Ganondorf, you need to awaken six sages and solve a bunch of puzzles that some twisted asshole designed." "If you want your body back, you'll have to retrieve Majora's Mask for me." "If you and I can ever have a relationship, you'll have to find a way to raise your social standing without my help so it looks like I'm not showing favoritism."

The crumbling of the pillar behind him broke him from his cynical thoughts, and he ran before it could fall on him. Nabooru pursued him relentlessly, her hands not even big enough to fit around the handle of the comically huge killing device she swung at him.

Thankfully, her ire seemed focused on him and not on his immobile partner. When she overextended, he saw an opportunity to break through her defense. The boiling anger inside told him to finish her, finish everyone who had ever wronged him, but he knew that wasn't him and did not take advantage of the opportunity.

"What are you doing?" Abia yelled, trying and failing to stand. "Fight back!"

How dare she interrupt him during a fight? She had crossed him too many times to live. Link shook that horrid thought and focused. Abia, please shut up before she targets you instead of me. He would not kill Nabooru no matter what happened, even if it meant his own death.

And it looked like it would as he hopelessly ran, sidestepped, and dodged. His luck couldn't hold out forever. It was like Yumn said: power reigned in the desert, and Nabooru was nothing right now if not powerful. Link raised the Mirror Shield, hoping against hope that he could disarm her, but she easily batted it out of his grasp.

It was a stupid idea, anyway. Link reached for his unhappy place, the source of the fighting prowess he had shown when rescuing Samiyah's squad in Hyrule Field, the courage that allowed him to keep fighting for Hyrule...

And couldn't find it. This was Nabooru, not some soulless monster: a thief who had done bad things but still opposed Ganondorf in the end, someone fun who he considered a friend even if she didn't remember their previous friendship. Somewhere in his mind beyond the fatigue and the spell and seven years of frustration, he knew that this was right: death by Gerudo execution for the murder of the Gerudo king. He could live with his death, because this was where all heroes met their end: anywhere at all, except for at the hands of the main bad guy. He silenced the anger of the spell, knowing it would take him nowhere. Abia watched in frightened awe, no doubt wondering if he had lost his mind. He didn't care.

He only cared when he saw Nabooru's face, still blank and soulless even as the magic guiding her forced her body past its natural limits. How could he even think of letting her be ruled by Twinrova, or letting Abia be killed?

That was all he needed to wonder for the battle to turn around, as it always seemed to just before he could fail. Twinrova had said the spell had a time limit, but that was useless information since for all he knew the limit could be days or even longer. There was, however, another limit he could exploit. It would hurt Nabooru, but it was better than killing her. Link was abruptly glad that she wielded a giant battle ax rather than her usual swords. It made her slower despite her incredible augmented strength, and more importantly swinging it put more strain on her body.

He backed away from her as quickly as he could, and when that didn't work he turned and ran. She swung the ax so furiously that he heard it hissing directly behind him, the air currents her wild swinging created nearly blowing his hat off. He rolled behind a column, and when she destroyed it, he rolled behind the next one, gradually leading her around the room.

"Stop leading her toward the pillars or the ceiling is going to fall on us!" Abia shouted, as if scolding a child. Remembering how many pillars Nabooru had destroyed the last time they fought like this, Link refrained from telling her that they weren't important to the room's structural stability.

He continued until he no longer felt currents of air from a blade inches away from his neck. Daring to look, he saw that she had taken a different approach, and it was more dumb luck than actual skill which allowed him to dodge the head-sized piece of rubble she threw like one might throw a ball. Seeing that Abia had pulled herself toward his discarded Mirror Shield and now raised it in front of her, he quickly dove behind her.

"Oof!" she grunted as the next chunk of stone thrown at them carried enough force to knock the shield aside, though she still managed to hold onto it. Link quickly grabbed it and helped her recenter it in front of them just in time to block the next projectile, and even with their combined strength the next blow made his arm feel numb for a moment.

"What's your next brilliant move?" Abia asked sarcastically. "After crushing all that stone, she'll never run out of things to throw at us!"

"She'll tire out eventually."

"It doesn't look like she's getting tired to me!"

Link didn't have time to explain it, but the spell which increased her strength only worked because she was strong to begin with. But the body could only take so much, and he knew that every swing and every attack she used that was beyond her normal capabilities destroyed her muscles from the inside, bringing her closer to defeat. There was a reason he never used strength-augmenting tools unless he absolutely had to when he was the Hero of Time: they would surely make him nigh unstoppable, but the price to pay was too high. He didn't know whether Nabooru had reached that limit yet, but the sound of her ax dropping to the floor comforted him until the Gerudo in white began running at them.

It was a wild charge, something he knew Nabooru would never be foolish enough to do were she in control of herself. "I know something that might remove the spell, but I need you to pin her down!" he said quickly.

"With pleasure," she growled as she accepted his hand and managed to stand. When Nabooru was upon them, they both knocked her back with the shield, and then with a scream Abia was upon her. They fell to the ground, and from their struggle Link saw that Nabooru's strength had indeed waned. Abia seemed to know what she was doing, having obviously been trained in ground takedowns, and her skill allowed her to avoid being killed despite the strength advantage her older sister still had.

His rage boiled once more at exactly the wrong time. With both women distracted, he could easily kill them. They both cared too much about the Gerudo not to oppose him if he tried to rule the desert. He shook the thought by reminding himself that he cared about the Gerudo as well, but his next thought was not so easy to dispel.

The sight of two half-naked women rolling on top of each other sent blood rushing to his groin. Before it could get too bad, he retrieved his fairy ocarina from his tunic and started playing.

A battle could end in seconds. This one ended with just six notes. Abia was confused when Nabooru went slack beneath her and stopped resisting. "What did you do?"

"I played a song that healed her soul. She should be fine now."

"Thanks, kid," Nabooru wheezed, unable to move. "Heh, I can't believe I was brainwashed a second time. I'm embarrassed, honestly. At least I managed to find the Silver Gauntlets. They're in my pocket."

A second time? When else had she been brainwashed aside from the alternate timeline? Sharing his confusion, Abia removed the sacred armor from her sister's spacious pants and examined it.

Wincing when he touched his damaged ribs, Link decided to ration the contents of his last potion. He took a sip, and immediately the pain lessened. He would still need another potion if he wanted to heal completely, but he'd fought with worse injuries. He then gave the bottle to Abia who, to his surprise, took a sip as well without objection, and Nabooru finished it off.

"Don't hit it!" he barked much more harshly than he meant to when Abia struck the ice which still covered her. To his great surprise, she recoiled from his tone.

"I misjudged you," she said, looking away. "I thought you didn't care about any of us, but I saw from the way you fight that...you love Nabooru."

"What?" Wondering how she came to that conclusion, he realized she was not the first Gerudo to judge him based on his fights. Aveil had called him fierce after their spar, and Gelbooru had called him lonely after they wrestled.

"You could have killed her and decreased the risk to your own life, but you didn't. I...I should not have said you were not a warrior when you told me you meant to fight our queen."

Still lying on her back, Nabooru laughed weakly. "Ha! You love me, huh? You're sweet," she teased, smirking when Link's cheeks turned pink. "I'd hug you, but I can't move at all right now."

"W-we can't care for you here," he stammered. "Can we expect any help?"

Abia shook her head. "The reason we came with such few numbers was for stealth. No one is coming to save us."

So nothing unusual then, he thought angrily. Suddenly clutching his head, he hissed. "Argh!"

"Link?"

He breathed heavily, mentally cursing. Of course playing the Song of Healing wouldn't remove the curse on him too. That would be way too easy. Now that the battle was over, his anger came rushing back, and he gripped his hair to keep from choking someone.

Anger wasn't all that flooded his mind, however, and abruptly he understood how the sight of two women wrestling had aroused him even in the middle of a fight. Twinrova had said the spell released one's inner rage and desire, and now all the romantic stress he'd been feeling for seven years rose to the forefront of his mind. The spell had reached a more advanced stage.

Raising his head, he looked at the two women who were basically helpless before him. Despite the shared contents of the potion, neither of them were in any shape to walk, and he stared at them with open desire, reveling in what Abia had said about them being on their own. Now that the slim young woman didn't constantly glare at him and find fault with everything he did, she was far more attractive, and Nabooru, well...she had always been attractive.

He shook his head to try to shake his thoughts, but it was of little use. He roared and flexed all the muscles in his body to keep the blood flow away from his erogenous zones, but as Abia stared at him wide-eyed, he knew his arousal and form-fitting tunic were already correcting several of her misconceptions about male anatomy.

"What is that?" she asked, staring at the firm extension stretching out the cloth below his belt.

"Get a hold of yourself, Link. I know we're hot, but come on."

"Not helping, Nabooru!" he shouted vehemently, and she fell silent in surprise at his anger. He didn't mean to snap, but her lack of concern did nothing to abate his desire. "I...I don't have much time until the spell takes over like it did with her. Put the gauntlets on, quickly! In case I...try to do something to you."

"You...desire me?" He ignored Abia's stunned expression, willing his erection not to swell further. No, he told himself, there had to be anger in her expression like always. The spell was just making him think there wasn't. "I cannot wield them."

"Anyone can wield the Silver Gauntlets. You just have to wear them."

"No," Nabooru corrected. "Only one with a connection to divinity can wield them." Link eyed her suspiciously. If that were true, why was she looking for them before he arrived? And how had she planned to use them in the alternate timeline when she told him to retrieve them for her?

A deep roar cut off his train of thought, and they turned to see a monster running at them with a spear.

"What is that swine doing in the temple?" Nabooru asked, outraged as though this were her home.

"I thought we killed all of Twinrova's moblins already!" said Link in exasperation.

With a snarl, he took aim with his hookshot. The bipedal boar with shoulder armor ran at them eagerly, mouth open and tongue flapping against its fat face as it ran in anticipation of its next meal. Firing his weapon, Link shook his arm, causing the chain to waver and wrap around the beast's neck. He retracted the chain, removing the moblin's head from its body.

Before he could see how horrified they surely were of him now, two more moblins came running through the door. Equipping his sword, he ran to intercept them. How dare they interrupt him? The two women were his!

"Oni!" he heard as a blast of fire and a blast of ice felled the monsters. The twin witches appeared again, looking ready to beg for their lives. "Please forgive us! We did not create this batch of monsters. We don't know where they're coming from, but now they're all over the temple and outside!"

"I told you to get lost! Get out of my sight and kill as many of those things as you can!" he shouted, and they turned around on their broomsticks, several more moblins appearing to chase them out of the room.

"Ah! Sorry, Oni!"

"So sorry!"

Link took his rage out on the next moblin that ran through the door, cutting its arm off before it even knew it had a foe. When two more appeared, he stabbed the first in the abdomen and blocked the second's spear with his gauntlet.

It was so easy. Now that Nabooru was not his enemy, he could bring out his full power without fear. Another arm fell off. The smell was horrid. Why did he ever hold back at all? He knew he was easily one of the best fighters in all of Hyrule. Why did he bother doing anything for anyone when he could just take what he wanted? Three beasts closed in on him at once, hoping for an easy meal, and remembering power was all that mattered in the desert, he prepared the spell of the goddess of power herself.

"Din's fire!"

Flames charred the flesh of the brutes around him, and they fell unmoving. Sparing a glance at the Gerudo, he silently thanked Abia for keeping the shield raised in case one of the beasts made it past him. He couldn't see Nabooru's expression behind the Mirror Shield, but somehow Abia seemed less afraid of him than she was awed by him.

More. He needed more action, more things to kill, but suddenly there was no more, and he returned to his partners with lust in his eyes, aware that his heavy breathing and grunts of desire made him sound just like a moblin. He had been denied too many times lately, and now two beautiful women lay helpless before him. It would be so easy to take advantage of them and find some relief at last.

His thirst for power consumed him. He remembered Zelda's seeming indifference to him, the Gerudo who snuck into his room last night, and Vance's sneering face. He was angry and hurt. He wanted Zelda to show some emotion to let him know their relationship wasn't hopeless, he wanted a break from being judged and treated so poorly by the Gerudo and Hyrule's court, and he just wanted some form of release.

But those were only his weaker desires. More than all that, he wanted to do the right thing and for everyone to be safe. He wanted to create a lasting peace where people understood and didn't take advantage of each other, and to that end he'd endure all this and more, no matter how much abuse he took or how much everyone hated him.

The Triforce of Courage burned beneath his glove. He would inevitably fall completely under the spell as Nabooru had done, but before that happened he was at least going to make sure Abia and Nabooru escaped safely.

His manhood stretched in front of him, growing heavier and begging him to reconsider his decision with each passing moment in front of the Gerudo staring uneasily at him. It was fortunate, in a sad way, that he knew exactly what to do in this situation. Like so many times at the castle, he tucked his erection under his belt, where it still throbbed painfully but did not inhibit his movement. Abia tensed when he snatched the Silver Gauntlets and put them on, but relaxed when he gently lifted Nabooru with one arm using his newly augmented strength. With his other he lifted Abia before taking off toward the temple exit.

Link desperately ignored their scent and the feel of their warm flesh as he ran, growling in frustration at how difficult they were unintentionally making this for him. "Who rubbed sand in your vagina?" Abia asked, but the insult had none of the biting edge of her past ones.

Moblin corpses littered the path, presumably killed by Twinrova, but when he stepped into the sun a great crowd of monsters who were very much alive all turned to him, and he knew he had to make a choice. If he put down his partners and fought, he might be able to kill the monsters and survive, but he would not be able to protect Abia and Nabooru from all of them. With his super strength, he could run into the haunted wasteland and carry them back to the fortress, but even if they somehow made it back, doing what his body was not meant to be able to do for an extended period could cripple him.

It was either stay and fight and risk the others dying, or save them and risk permanent injury or death to himself. The choice was easy.

It was fortunate that the gauntlets strengthened every part of his body, not just his arms, or else his legs would have buckled under the weight of some of the objects he'd lifted in the alternate future and he would not be able to run quickly with his current load. Link kicked off the sand into a sprint, and the moblins gave chase.

"What are you doing?" Abia yelled. Nabooru, however, said nothing, and he worried that she had slipped into unconsciousness. Unconsciousness, he told himself, not death.

Leevers appeared to bite at his legs, but he kept running, and when he reached the sandy winds his pursuers gave up, not brave enough to venture into that part of the desert. Praying that his decision wasn't incredibly stupid but knowing better, he hoped the goddess of sand would watch over him.

"Oni and company!" The familiar Poe guide greeted. "I-"

"Shut up and lead me to the fortress!" he snapped, his control slipping.

"Y-yes, Oni."

The wind and sun weathered him like a stone, and his feet sank deeply into the sand with the added weight of the women he carried. Running was tiring. Running through sand and heat was murderous, and doing that while carrying someone was exhausting no matter how strong he currently was. Just exposing his tongue to the air made it dry up, and he knew that were he not accustomed to frequent physical activity, this would have already killed him.

As it was, he felt his muscles tearing, but he was almost there. The gate appeared in the distance and he yelled for anyone who could hear, knowing that whatever guard was on patrol had already seen them. Abia winced, and he suddenly realized that the rough way he carried her had probably caused bruising, yet this whole time she hadn't complained. He set both women down and waited until the gate opened and an enraged Samiyah stepped through.

"What did you do to them?" Samiyah hissed, but Link smiled. The spell had ended, and everyone was okay. His body fell and sand spilled across his lips.

* * *

><p>She wore a cloak of shadow regally as though she commanded darkness itself. This woman he had never seen before was taller than him, much taller than the average person, and had blue skin, but despite that the first word that came to Link's mind was "Gerudo". Like the race of female warriors, she was beautiful and had some gold in her eyes (albeit with red as well), and her rather immodest wear bore a symbol that somewhat resembled that of the desert race. Though her hair was not red, it was orange, which for him was enough to hint at a connection.<p>

Noticing his stare, she smirked. He couldn't tell if it was playful or wicked. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

* * *

><p>"Please wake up, Oni...we'll take care of you."<p>

"We'll protect you from the desert."

Stars greeted him when he opened his eyes, and he realized he had been dreaming. The beautiful pale blue woman quickly faded from his mind, however, when he realized he couldn't move. His body was broken from his voyage to the Spirit Temple, but something cool and wet caressed his face. It was too dark to identify everyone around him, but panic seized him as he realized that those near him were bathed in a golden light.

His Triforce shone like a fountain in the darkness; they had taken his glove off.

When he coughed in alarm and tried to squirm away, he realized that several people held him, and he wondered in fright if they had figured out he was the Hero of Time. Were they arresting him again?

"You're awake!" someone cheered, a voice he did not recognize to go with a face he could not see.

"Oh no, Oni's sick! This is your fault, Samiyah! You sent him to the desert to die, just like the goddesses did."

To Link's confusion, a cool clay bowl soothed his chapped lips, and water trickled into his mouth. Now that he had his bearings, he realized his upper body was exposed and that he was submerged in a small oasis. Hands rubbed water across his bare chest, carefully avoiding his broken ribs, and warm flesh pressed against his arms. Vaguely he recalled Nailah's story of how the sand goddess saved Oni from the desert's harshness and opened her bosom to him.

"What's...going on?" he croaked out, finding speech difficult.

Samiyah's face came into view, no longer looking furious. "You really are our god..."

"Wh-what?"

"You bear the mark of divinity on your left hand, and you were able to use the Silver Gauntlets. Abia told us what happened. You didn't take advantage of them..." Samiyah said as though she couldn't believe it. "You really are here to help us."

"Where are Nabooru and Abia?"

Abia's face came into view this time. "Your love is still unconscious, but she's fine."

"Why do you keep calling her that? I'm not in love with Nabooru."

"When Ganondorf became obsessed with power, we added Din, goddess of power, to the deities we worship," Samiyah explained. "We are in a constant struggle against power, and at the same time we're constantly searching for it. We exercise power against everyone except the people and things precious to us. That is love, and that's what you have done. You could have hurt any number of us at any time with your great power, but you didn't."

"I've never heard those teachings before," he remarked in awe, too stunned to say anything else.

"Yes, your people follow the teachings of Nayru."

"No, I was raised with the Kokiri. I learned the teachings of Farore instead."

"Link knew we might execute him, even before we accused him," the voice of Gelbooru cut in. Was she one of the people touching his arm?

"He told you this?" asked Samiyah, still in disbelief about this whole ordeal.

"Yes." Gelbooru looked at him, eyes shining. "He told me that he wouldn't run away just because things were hard and scary. He stayed even after that night because he wants to help."

Her adoring gaze unnerved him, but at the same time he felt oddly whole. Was this what it was like to be appreciated, to have friends? "I won't run away. Farore values freedom above all else, and we're only free when we don't let fear or the opinions of others control our actions."

"I suppose you would know best what your sister goddess values."

"I'm not a god—"

"Save your strength," said Aveil with a smile. "You can argue with us tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of my sisters. Now let them take care of you."

Link closed his eyes, not sure in his delirium what was happening. He didn't know if he was naked as soft warmth pressed against him to shield him from the desert night. He didn't even know if everyone else was naked. But he could have sworn that a pair of lips grazed the tender bruising over his ribs.

He wanted to fight off his exhaustion, but his body was too weak. At least everyone was alive. He'd done as well as he could today. He felt relieved of tension, and it occurred to him in his groggy state that he didn't know why. It wasn't that beautiful women were smothering him with affection; were he less tired, he would have been nervous and shy about that. But something about seeing these people he'd only known a short time alive and well after so much doubt made him feel whole. And even though he knew great hardships still lay before him, he passed out confident that he could keep going the next day.

He'd endured so much over the last seven years...so much since his arrival at the desert, even. He still wanted a break, wanted a better life for himself someday, but for now...this was enough. He drifted through the water into someone's embrace.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Getting Friendly

* * *

><p>"Ah...I can't get you pregnant if you keep swallowing."<p>

Link resisted the urge to tremble as the Gerudo on her knees in front of him continued sucking, looking up to bore into his soul with amber eyes which shone with desire. She was young and eager to please, her tongue gently flicking the underside of his manhood, beckoning him to spill his seed inside her mouth.

Knowing he had a duty, Link tore himself from those golden eyes, and as he gazed at the enormous bed they were scheduled to share tonight, he grew heavier and more erect in the younger girl's mouth.

"Mmm..." the teen moaned excitedly, taking this as a positive sign. She began bobbing her head, but he strategically pulled out while her lips only held the tip of his length. Before he could complete his first step toward the bed, however, she closed her mouth around him again. Link nearly stumbled as she locked him in place by grabbing his buttcheeks.

"Ah, stop it," he growled, only to gasp as her long nose nearly touched his pubic bone and he felt the back of her throat.

With his dick still in her mouth, she muttered something that might have been "Feel good?" before gagging from the effort and pulling back, moving her lips up and down his shaft. Link felt his control slipping with each tug, but she did not release her hold on him.

He tried to stave off the aching of his testicles and the pressure building in his member, but when it expanded she knew he was near the end and increased her pace. With a grunt, he fired his essence into her while her lips hugged him tightly. Gasping with his meat in her mouth each time he twitched, she sucked it all down, swallowing greedily.

After sucking on his sensitive penis for leftovers for a blissful eternity, she let him slip out, and she licked her lips as she smiled up at him. "Oni came a lot..."

* * *

><p>When Link awoke, he found it difficult to open his eyes all the way, but he saw enough to know that he was in his small room in the Gerudo's fortress and was not actually being pleasured. Shutting his eyes to block out the images from his dream, he reprimanded himself. He was here to work with the Gerudo, not to...objectify them. Remembering how he had resisted his sexual urges at the Spirit Temple, he silently vowed not to disrespect anyone here by thinking of them in such a perverse way.<p>

"What is that? One of the spies told me Hylians call it a game pipe."

"That can't be right. I think it was called a third leg."

His eyes snapped open immediately, and the tiny dimensions of the "guest room" forced him to look at the two guards standing over his prone form. Blood rushed to Link's cheeks as Yumn and Nailah curiously examined the tall rise beneath the blanket that covered him; despite his attempt to forget the fantasy, one part of his body still remembered it.

"Dominion Rod," Yumn suggested.

"Deku stick."

"Pocket Cucco."

"I-it's nothing," Link said, but when he tried to adjust himself, the quick movement made him painfully aware of his injuries. While he could not raise his arms, however, his other limb proudly showed off its ability to rise.

Nailah quirked an eyebrow at him. "That's a whole lot of nothing."

Link couldn't remember being more embarrassed in his life. Both women seemed not to hear his grunt of pain as they continued to stare. Despite the fact that she was as much an adult as Link, Nailah's thin form and her wide-eyed curiosity made her look cute and almost child-like. She reached out tentatively, her hand open as if to grasp the object making a tent out of his leggings.

"J-just...can I be alone for a moment?" he panicked, voice higher than usual, before she could make contact. Nailah smiled and nodded, but Yumn grinned wickedly as she had when she was taunting Abia, and he wondered if she had figured out what his "problem" was.

"Sure. We'll tell everyone you're awake. Let us know if you need help with anything."

Yumn's provocative grin haunted him until they were gone, and once alone he tried and failed to cover his face with his hands, hoping that was all the "local gossips" told their sisters. It was bad enough that Abia and Nabooru had seen him like this.

He needed to focus more on his mission, but his dream was far less fleeting than his dream of taking Zelda had been. It had the same uncanny vividness as the dream about the Fierce Deity he had at the Spirit Temple, or the one about the blue-skinned woman he had at the oasis.

With a grunt, Link tried once more to rise, but once more his body did not cooperate. The pain which had been dulled by his super strength while he wore the Silver Gauntlets flared, and he fell pathetically back onto his mattress. The strain on his arms had torn his muscles, and Link knew that without potions or fairies, he would be crippled for the rest of his life. It was worth it, though, he thought, remembering Aveil's gratitude, Gelbooru's admiration, and the way Abia looked at him with something other than anger and contempt for once.

As if on cue, a very angry Abia burst through the door, her medium-length hair moving behind her from the speed with which she entered. To his mortification, his erection still hadn't gone down, and the purple looked at it before shouting, "Fight it, Link!" Half-running, half-limping toward the bed, she flung herself on top of the wide-eyed young man and pinned his wrists over his head. "You're stronger than this. Don't let them control you!"

She straddled and held herself above him, which without his injuries would have made it impossible for him to move. Her eyes searched his for some sign that he was really there, and he wondered if he was still dreaming.

"What are you talking about?"

"Yumn and Nailah told me about your third leg. You don't have to rape anyone! Remember how you resisted at the temple!"

To his horror, the closeness of her lips made his erection grow more firm against his will. It pressed through the covers against the rear of the warm girl on top of him, and he spoke quickly.

"I-I'm not under Twinrova's spell. Men just, uh, get like this when they wake up. It's called morning wood."

"This is...normal?"

He nodded awkwardly, though nothing about a beautiful woman being in his bed and on top of him was normal. Due to their proximity, he saw that the proud warrior wore only enough makeup to mark herself as a purple, which somehow didn't surprise him. The slender yet powerful woman's small breasts seemed more pronounced as they hung from her body, accentuated by her purple top.

Slowly and silently, she rolled off of him and stood with as much dignity as she could muster, crossing her arms and looking away. "Hmph. You made me worry over nothing. I thought I'd have to fight you to protect my sisters. You're lucky you were able to explain before I cut into you."

She hadn't looked like she was in a hurry to kill him, but Link attributed the observation to his less than virtuous mental state and moved on to a more important topic. "How's your leg?"

The words were out before he could stop them. He'd asked that exact question before to annoy her, and he hoped she didn't feel insulted by his asking again.

"It's fine." At his questioning look, she corrected herself. "It's not fine, but it will be. I'm strong."

"I know." Their battle at the Spirit Temple passed before his mind's eye: her determination to complete the mission even without Nabooru and her improvised fighting on a frozen leg stemmed from great courage.

"How's your...everything?" she asked hesitantly, clearly unused to showing concern for him.

"I'll be fine when I get another potion from Hyrule. I'm strong too."

"I know." A heavy silence fell on them, during which Link's wood gradually fell soft, and he almost wished she would insult him again to relieve the tension. "...for a Hylian," she amended, and he sighed in relief.

"Sorry to ask, but could you help me out of bed? I can't move my...everything."

She sneered. "If you're too weak to move, where will you go? To help the whites collect water?"

Despite his pain and humiliation, he cracked a smile. "I'd fall to my death if I went to the cliff now. I need an audience with Aveil."

Her strength shouldn't have surprised him, but when she easily pulled him to his feet, he could not help staring at her. The shorter girl mirrored his gaze, and he followed her eyes to a set of bandages wrapped around his bare chest.

"Where is my tunic?" he asked, feeling naked despite his clothed lower body.

"We kept it off to make sure you didn't bleed through any of your bandages. Your other outfit is here, but it's been crumpled on the floor for a few days."

Days? How long had he been unconscious? "Can you lead me to an oasis, if there is one? I think it would be disrespectful to visit your queen smelling the way I do."

Bending down, he found to his horror that he could barely lift his green tunic from the ground, and when he stood properly again his broken rib made him hiss in pain. Already out of the room, Abia sighed petulantly when he struggled to keep up, but to his surprise she did not insult him. He walked without moving his arms, each breath an assault against his ribs. She stepped gingerly on her right leg, but once were in the sun again, in view of the other purples, she walked normally.

Those not sparring halted to observe them in shock, and Link wondered if they thought he would not eventually wake up. Abruptly he felt self-conscious without a shirt on, and he realized this was probably the first time many of the women here had seen a man's upper body. As had become the norm, the word "Oni" drifted to him, but Abia said nothing, only leading him away from prying eyes.

A small pool hid in the shadow of a dune, and Abia stood in place as though awaiting orders. "Er...you don't have to stay here."

"Whatever, Hylian. Don't dirty our water," she retorted before marching away.

Link turned in a complete circle and saw no one, the water having collected in a small basin surrounded by rising hills, but just as he unbuckled his belt, a voice greeted him.

"Hi, kid."

"N-Nabooru!" he exclaimed, fumbling to secure his leggings before they fell. "How long have you been there?" How did he not notice her? It was like she just appeared in the dune's shadow.

"A while. I was about to take a bath."

Link mentally slapped himself before images of her nude in the water could form in his mind. "I'll wait until you're done, then."

"I won't make you wait. You don't strike me as the peeping type, so I don't mind sharing. And if I accidentally see something below your belt, it won't be much more revealing than what I saw at the temple." She grinned, appraising his shirtless form. "Maybe I shouldn't call you kid anymore."

She laughed when the tips of his ears reddened, and he angrily wondered why his manhood was the center of attention today.

"I haven't had a chance yet to thank you for saving me and Abia." She walked toward him casually, her waist-length hair swaying with her hips, and while her outfit was the same as always, he couldn't help noticing it more after last night's dream. The orange jewel on her forehead made her caramel skin more enticing, and her pink baggy pants showed off the femininity of a woman who could just as easily seduce a man as she could kill or swindle him. A large gem functioned as her ponytail holder, and a small one hanging from her necklace fit nicely into the top of her cleavage.

Every part of her demanded attention, and he fell under her spell when she placed her arms on his shoulders, connecting her hands behind his neck. He blinked dumbly, having never been touched in such a familiar way, and as he watched her face, he noticed she didn't wear lipstick today.

The reason for that became clear when the taller woman leaned down to press their lips together. Link's eyes widened as her tongue invaded his mouth, stealing his breath and instantly leaving him panting for more. This was not at all like the innocent kiss Gelbooru had given him. Nabooru was older, more confident, and obviously more experienced, and he could not believe how incredible this novel experience felt. Since he couldn't push her away with his hurt arms, he was inclined to return the gesture, but he quickly thought better of it.

It didn't matter that Zelda wasn't satisfying his physical needs: he was not going to kiss other women behind her back. How could he even think of using his inability to move as an excuse?

He turned his face away from her, separating their mouths. "I appreciate your thanks, but...I'm in love with someone."

Strangely, Nabooru did not seem upset. On the contrary, she smiled as if pleased by this development. "Don't worry, I'm just thanking you, not propositioning you. You're constantly horny like any other young man, but I think you're a good person. One of the few."

He breathed more easily once she backed away. "I think you like teasing me a little too much. But really, anyone else would have done the same in the temple in my situation."

"No, they wouldn't have. What do you think I wanted to do to you while I was under the spell?"

"You made it pretty clear you wanted to kill me."

She smirked. "You weren't the only one whose lust was unlocked by the spell. Part of me wanted to kill you, but another part of me wanted to subdue you for...other reasons. Violence was a way to achieve both goals. I like it a bit rough." Link blushed, both because of her attraction to him and because a woman was speaking so openly about her sexual preferences. "Anyway, you should know that I have a reason for wanting to take a bath with you. I need to talk to you about something important, and I wanted to make sure you were alone."

She began removing her top, and he quickly turned around before he saw her large breasts, his heart beating wildly. Could she not have warned him? Deciding she was just teasing him again, he regained his composure but paused in the middle of discarding his belt, not sure he could trust himself around a naked woman at the moment.

"I heard about how my sisters took care of you the other night, but you should know that you're still in danger."

At her serious tone, Link discarded his trivial concerns and undressed with his back turned. He stepped into the water, which was hot despite the shade, and a splash behind him indicated she stepped in as well.

"Don't get me wrong. Many of those who tended to you were honest with their affections. Because of how harsh life is here, we're encouraged to start looking for mates soon after the changes began, and Oni or not, you've caught some people's attention. But Samiyah's trust is an act."

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was still disappointed after seemingly making progress with her. Thinking only of what this meant for Hyrule and the Gerudo, he mechanically scrubbed himself.

"I'm telling you this because I like you. We have a legend that a false god, a demon, will appear in a time of great need to deceive us by claiming to be Oni. Samiyah is grateful for what you did, but she is still cautious."

Link remembered how convinced the middle-aged woman had been that he was here for sexual favors. "She hopes that acting like she trusts me will make me feel safe enough to take advantage of someone," he realized, but his determination did not waver. "I'll keep doing what I've been doing, then. I may never earn your people's complete trust, but I won't give them any reason not to trust me."

Water trickled behind him as she spilled it onto herself. "Somehow I knew you'd say something like that. That's not all, though. Last time we were at the Spirit Temple, I sensed Twinrova using dark magic when they fused. I believe they're siphoning someone's life force to strengthen their own. If I had to guess, I'd say that's how they've been able to live for so long."

As she spoke, he realized her back was turned to him like his was to her, and his long ears told him that she was at the opposite edge of the water, as far away as one could be without leaving the oasis. He wondered idly why she put such distance between them. She clearly didn't think he was the demon of legend.

"I'm impressed. I didn't know any Gerudo other than Twinrova and Ganondorf could use or sense magic. Who are they stealing energy from?"

"I don't know. It could be someone in the desert, or it could be someone on the other side of Hyrule, but somebody's spirit is definitely being consumed. I feel like something bad is going to happen soon. I've been sensing magic a lot lately, even though the witches aren't here."

Her use of "spirit" brought memories of their previous mission to the forefront of his mind. Nabooru claimed to have been brainwashed by the witches before, so did that mean she somehow retained her memories of the alternate timeline like he and Zelda did? He decided against asking. Trust was fragile (especially a Gerudo's trust, apparently), and he didn't want to crush it by making her think he was crazy should his suspicions be wrong. Surely if she remembered Ganondorf's seven-year reign, she would tell him.

"Then we'll be ready for it," he said strongly.

"There's something else. I don't know if it's Oni or a different source, but there's something powerful inside you. Be careful, blondie. It could kill you if you let it."

Link chuckled, shaking his hair dry. "Blondie? I think I liked 'pointy-ears' better."

He could practically see her smile behind him. "Too bad. Anyway, we've been bathing long enough. I don't like sitting still for long."

Nabooru's behavior had struck him as odd since their first trip to the temple a few days ago. Whereas she was passionate in the alternate timeline, in this one she seemed easygoing, the sole exception so far being when she had been outraged at moblins invading the temple. As he stood with water dripping down his legs, he grinned at how easy it was to talk to her.

They turned to each other fully outfitted once more, and she smirked. "Ah good, you have a shirt now. My sisters won't get hot and bothered looking at you anymore."

Feeling brave, he joked back. "Why would they? I thought walking around half-naked was the custom here."

"Oh please. Why do you think they took your shirt off in the first place?"

"To make sure my wounds were healing."

"They took it off because you have become the fortress's eye candy, just like I am."

She made an elaborate show of placing the large jewel back into her hair to show off her beauty, and he rolled his eyes, thinking she was teasing him again. "Once negotiations end, they'll have access to plenty of men more handsome than I am."

She frowned, and when she spoke, a seriousness that sounded strange coming from her replaced her mirth. "Kid, promise me you'll never lose your humility."

He blinked uncomprehendingly but promised, and after they hiked out of the basin Abia intercepted them. "For someone who's not in love with Nabooru, you seem very comfortable around her," she said to him with arms crossed, and his eyes widened.

"You were watching?" Link wondered if she had seen him nude, but his insecurity faded as he realized that he had been oddly at ease bathing with Nabooru. Not a single impure thought had crossed his mind once the conversation shifted to the danger he and the Gerudo might be in.

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't die in your weakened state."

"I've never known you to worry that much about someone," Nabooru remarked, and as the shorter girl glared at her she looked every bit the Spirit Sage's junior.

Nabooru strolled calmly while Link dragged his suddenly heavy body. He noticed that Abia hid her limp in Nabooru's presence, but he dismissed it and reveled in traveling with the ones who had been with him during his last fight. Despite Abia's still sour attitude toward him, he felt a bond with them that he did not feel with any of his fellow knights. That comforting feeling vanished, however, when he did not see any of the purples from before outside the fortress.

"Before Samiyah accused me, many of the Gerudo had gathered inside the great hall. Am I in trouble again?" he asked, having faith that they would be truthful.

"While you were unconscious, Samiyah told me that Aveil wants to see you about something," Abia answered. Nabooru shrugged, and Link reasoned that Aveil probably just wanted to continue negotiations. Now that he wore his green cap and tunic, he felt more confident despite his broken body, and he entered the Gerudo's stronghold ready to discuss their population problem once more.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Square One

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><p>Link was a loser. At least, that's what the figure had gleaned from the day it spent searching Castle Town. He supposedly lived at the castle, but no one in the wealthy districts seemed to know or care where he was. The figure had escaped its prison to find this Link person, but it seemed there was no "great hero of Hyrule", as its captor had furiously and sarcastically described him.<p>

The corpulent Lord Vance did not notice the one following him, nor did any of the Hylians he mingled with. Despite his weight, he was a social butterfly, his belly fat fluttering as he flew to every member of the privileged class he passed to discuss whatever stupid shit Hylians cared about, yet Link did not come up once in his many conversations. The figure followed him to the city's poorer market district, easily eluding the city's so-called guards.

If Hylians were such blind fools, would Link really be able to destroy its captor?

"Fresh milk!" a lyrical voice announced over the bustling crowd, and Vance's eyes lit up as they fell upon a young woman in front of a wagon with an insignia which read "Lon Lon". Long auburn-red hair framed a cute pale face, and as the sneak saw the large bust straining against her white blouse, it wondered with amusement where the milk she sold came from.

She smiled cheerfully at everyone who passed—not the fake smile of a salesperson, but one that made her more attractive—and the figure wondered if she even noticed that all her customers were men, or that they probably only came to her carriage to ogle her.

Naive twit. If something bad happened to her, it would be her own fault for being so unobservant.

Lord Vance waited for the line to diminish (or maybe his fat ass just needed a break from walking) so that she would be alone when he approached. "I would like a bottle if you please, Miss Malon," he said with a smile he probably thought was charming.

"Thank you, sir! Oh! You're Lord Vance, right?"

He bowed energetically, perhaps to hide how much older than her he was. "Ah, you remember me! I am a lucky man." Malon looked down, fiddling with her long skirt, and Vance took the opportunity to glance at the breasts which seemed disproportionate to the otherwise slender girl.

"Do you know where Link is? He sent me a letter over a week ago saying he was going on a mission, and since then I haven't seen or heard from him. I had hoped to find him here."

The figure resisted the urge to scream in frustration. If Link didn't even tell a pretty girl like her where he was, its search was hopeless.

"I do not, I'm afraid." When she clasped her hands in front of her dress sadly, he grinned to himself. "He takes you for granted, my dear. Would you allow me to keep you company and ease your worry for a while?"

To the figure's surprise, she glared at him, standing as tall as a short teenage woman could with her arms by her sides. "My answer has not changed since the last time you asked, Lord Vance. If that is why you approached me, I ask that you please leave."

Perhaps she wasn't naive after all. It was as though she saw right through him, just as the figure did despite having known of the lord's existence for only a few hours. Did she see through the other men who gawked too, and merely dismiss them as non-threats? Either way, it seemed that Malon was not like other Hylians.

"How can I convince you that I have only the best intentions? It's possible he hasn't contacted you because he needs some time alone to deal with the horrors of battle. Slaying the recent group of monsters has surely left him with some ugly demons to deal with."

Alarm widening her sky blue eyes, she raised a small hand to her heart. "Oh no! I heard about that. He dealt with them all by himself? Oh, Link..."

"He did. The princess has the utmost faith in him, but the boy has clearly become unstable—"

"How could you let him fight alone?!" she yelled, surprising the sneak once more. "Isn't it your duty to keep our knights safe?! Why would you endanger Link like that?"

Vance recovered from her sharp tongue quickly enough that it wondered how often he harassed her. "My apologies, miss Malon, but I have no control over which knights are sent to which jobs."

Neither spoke for a moment. Malon continued glaring at him as though peering into his soul, not paying attention to the din of the marketplace, but eventually she shrank into herself, though nothing could hide her from the aristocrat's hungry scrutiny. "Others have told me otherwise. If I didn't know better, my lord, I'd think you were trying to get him killed. Good day."

Turning her back to him cautiously, she led her horse and carriage toward the drawbridge leading out of town. The figure noticed that she still had inventory to sell, so she probably left because she felt uncomfortable around her "suitor". Given the way Vance watched her backside as she retreated, that was probably the smartest thing she could have done.

A man in plated armor stepped closely enough to him that only Vance and the once-captive could hear his words. "Malon has nice 'Malons'."

"Sir knight, I cannot believe you would speak so loosely of a woman!" Vance chastised, but his eyes were smiling, his anger at "the one that got away" momentarily forgotten. "Yes, she does." So much for knights and chivalry. Maybe this place deserved what the figure's captor wanted to do to it. "I had hoped to seduce her while Link was in the desert, but she is stubborn as the mules she raises. I do not know what the harlot sees in that peasant."

If Malon were a harlot, she would have accepted the unworthy man's request. The figure began to think Malon was all right. It appreciated anyone who annoyed people it didn't like.

"Did I hear you mention Sir Link?" a young girl asked before a miniature crowd formed around the befuddled lord where Malon's carriage had been. "I desperately need a knight's help, and only he will do!"

Vance seethed, but apologized for not knowing Link's whereabouts before politely excusing himself, and the crowd dispersed upon realizing Link was not around. It seemed Link had more friends among the peasants than he did among the knights and nobles; just as mostly men took interest in Malon's business, the crowd asking for Link was composed mostly of women, and it wondered if Link was a playboy or an innocent like Malon before deciding it didn't matter. It needed to use Link, not get to know him, and with barely contained rage it fled the scene.

It was tired of getting nowhere, tired of hiding, tired of covering its fear and anger with private jokes about how fat and stupid Hylians were. It had enough power to kill everyone here and would do so if it meant finding Link, because the fate of far more than just this city rested on Link's shoulders. It entered the Temple of Time, empty and sacred, and examined a sword protruding from a stone pedestal.

The Master Sword, the ultimate weapon. If it couldn't find Link, it would make do with the blade which supposedly had the power to banish evil. Legends said that only one with courage and unbreakable spirit could pull it from its resting place. Strong with purpose, it touched the hilt.

And screamed. Its hands burned long after it retracted them, and it yelled in fury at the arrogance the goddesses had in declaring it anathema. Everyone, not just it, would benefit if the captor died, so why wouldn't the sword consent to be its killing instrument?

"That was a stupid thing to do," a voice deadpanned.

It spun to find a tall woman speaking in an intimidating baritone. Despite her silver hair, her muscles showed that she was not yet old, and her sudden appearance indicated that her short hair and tight clothes were intended for stealth. Apparently not everyone here was worthless, and already it began considering how best to use this to its advantage.

Its captor would regret teaching it how to manipulate others.

"I've been tracking you since you phased into town. You reek of dark magic and killing intent. Who are you? Speak quickly, or you will never speak again," she said evenly, as if stating a fact rather than issuing a threat.

The figure did its best not to grin wickedly when it noticed the symbol of the Sheikah, guardians of the royal family, just below her neck. If it couldn't use Link or the Master Sword, there was still one other person its captor feared.

"Princess Zelda is in danger."

* * *

><p>It didn't unnerve Link when he, Nabooru, and Abia entered the great hall to an even larger audience than last time. Hundreds of red-haired women stared at him: some with scorn, some with respect, and some with an amorous yet predatory gleam in their eyes, which were somehow more expressive than the eyes of any Hylian. Aveil and Samiyah seemed not to notice the newcomers, however, as they discussed something at the other end of the long table.<p>

"Thank you for bringing him. You may go now, Nabooru," the middle-aged red said curtly without looking away from her queen. Nabooru shrugged, letting her superior's attitude roll off her like water from the oasis, and his brow furrowed as she left calmly. First Ladina, then Abia, and now Samiyah...Why didn't anyone respect her? In the alternate timeline, Aveil had only been queen while Nabooru was trapped at the temple. What changed that in this timeline?

Those not distinguished enough to have a seat at the table stood shoulder to shoulder in the crowded room, and as he wondered whether they came to see what would happen to him, something pinched his buttcheek. Spinning quickly, Link was shocked to find a white old enough to be his mother retracting her hand with a grin.

"I liked you better with your shirt off. You should walk around without pants next time."

Unable to form a response, he turned his flushed face and went with Abia, who sat with the other purples. "Go stand with the whites," one of them hissed at him, turning up her large nose. "This area is reserved for warriors."

Abia opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "Very well," he said pleasantly, but before he could leave a white greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hi, Link! When did you wake up?"

The purples glared at Gelbooru when she squeezed past others to stand next to him, smiling brightly. "You have to earn a place here before you can come near this table."

To his surprise, Gelbooru put her hands on her hips instead of shrinking away. "I will earn a place here." She turned to him, smiling again. "Abia told me how you fought for her and Nabooru. She said you fight for others." He looked at Abia in surprise, but she averted her eyes, uncertainty taking the place of her usual confidence. "You're amazing, Link! You're the kind of fighter I want to be! You all were wrong about him, and you're wrong about something else too." She regarded him with hopeful eyes, and he tried not to let his wander. "Have you been to places other than here and Hyrule? I mean, have you seen the Zora?"

He nodded, fearing he wouldn't be heard over the crowd murmuring about the scene he and Gelbooru had caused just by standing near the purples. He didn't come here to disrespect anyone's traditions, but she blocked the only hole in the gathering. They nearly touched in the confined space, and as he started to sweat from the body heat of the gathering, he wondered why everyone wore so little. Didn't they know the power women had over men when they showed skin?

"Do many people love each other in those places?"

"I've seen happy couples in almost every culture." Except for the Gorons, of course, but he didn't even know if women or couples existed in that culture. He resisted the urge to frown as he pondered when he was last happy with his "relationship".

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "It does exist! Everyone thought she was crazy, but my mother always told me that she and my father loved each other very much. Thank you, Link. You don't know what this means to me." He stiffened as her arms came around him. Abia's eyes widened, some whites from across the room cheered, and Link blushed, unable to act with so many people watching. Her skin felt warm even through his tunic. "One day, after I become a fighter, I want to find my parents...and maybe find love like they did!"

Her use of "love" cut him deeply, and he suddenly felt miserable. He didn't have the heart to tell her that love was not enough to guarantee happiness, and abruptly he realized that he could not live this way forever. He could not keep getting depressed every time Gelbooru, Aveil, Nabooru, or anyone else delved into his personal life. He had to make a change.

"Hey, Link..." she began, somewhat more subdued. "Since I know you're lonely from our shoving match, do you think you can show me around Hyrule one day, after we're allowed to go there again?"

As a white, Gelbooru did not have the privilege of wearing makeup as the purples and reds did, but that didn't mean she wasn't beautiful. As she pulled back from the hug to stare up at him with her hands clasped in front of her heavy bosom in a pleading manner, her expression and small nose reminded him of Malon.

Abia scoffed, wearing her minimal makeup proudly. "To think that anyone would want you is foolish, Gelbooru. Men want a strong female partner, and that is certainly not you."

Link's suppressed a laugh. "Actually, most men would probably kill to bed with any Gerudo, white or purple."

Even those who had turned their noses up at Link looked at him bewildered. "That makes sense. We are beautiful beyond compare. But does it make no difference whether people are strong in your kingdom?" one inquired.

"It makes little difference to Hylians whether someone is a warrior. Most of us don't dream of being fighters. Instead, we dream of finding love, starting a family, and making enough money to live comfortably."

"What an inane dream," Abia said callously before asking in a gentler tone, "Why did you become a knight if that isn't what your people desire?"

Gelbooru turned toward her in confusion. "Because he fights for others, not for himself. Aren't you the one who told me that?"

"Gelbooru, if you wish to attend this meeting, you must go to your assigned section," Samiyah barked from across the room. Gelbooru's bravery finally wore off, and with a jump and a small squeak she slipped back into the crowd where Link could no longer see her. "I now ask for silence from everyone not seated. Link, could you come here?"

The speed with which the women surrounding him stepped away to form a path alarmed him. Despite not being queen, Samiyah held great power to so easily control so many people, and he considered the possibility that the Gerudo experienced far less dissidence than Hyrule's royal family did. Each person took a turn staring as he walked past, and he felt almost too weak to move. He had never been under this level of scrutiny at the castle, not even when a lord chastised him.

"I didn't expect you to be walking again this soon," Samiyah stated bluntly as he sat across from her. "You must have a high pain tolerance." Link refrained from telling her that he had experience with these exact same injuries in the alternate timeline.

"You're finally awake," Aveil purred beside her elder. "We have so much to talk about. I'm glad you decided to clean up for me."

Link hid his shock at her appearance. She wore considerably more face paint than she had last time he saw her, and her flowing hair looked like it had been brushed. But what stood out most was the fact that rather than a red top, she wore a green one that matched his tunic. Had she cleaned up for him, like he had for her? He dismissed the ridiculous thought, but not quickly enough to prevent extra blood flow to his cheeks.

Angrily deciding he had been embarrassed enough today, he pushed the conversation forward. "You mean to talk about allowing Gerudo into Hyrule?"

Samiyah frowned thoughtfully. "I no longer despise all Hylians after meeting you, but your people may never accept us. For now it would be best to see if any men can come to the desert as you have instead of going out to search for mates ourselves. That way, we can protect ourselves in case something happens."

Regardless of whether Samiyah's trust was an act as Nabooru had said, he did not want to leave the desert on this note. He came to repair their races' relationship, not to encourage further isolation. "Samiyah...There are good people in Hyrule, or else I never would have sworn to protect my kingdom. There is more to us than cowards who would take advantage of someone in need, just as there is more to the Gerudo than a man who tried to take over Hyrule."

"Perhaps," she replied evenly, "but there is not enough good in Hyrule for us to ever be safe there. We may try differently in the future, but for now I would like to officially request that any willing warriors from Hyrule come here. If they are judged worthy, we will use them, and then they can leave and we will keep to ourselves once more."

"We have a warrior right here," a purple at the table interjected. "Let's use him!"

"Over forty of us have already judged him to be worthy," another spoke up, encouraged by her sister's outburst. Link stiffened when she looked at him expectantly.

Younger than Nabooru, Aveil did not wear her jewelry or beauty as effortlessly, but when she lowered her voice to a seductive tone, her words were just as effective as the Spirit Sage's. "They have a point. Would you like to mate with forty of us?"

As if there were an answer to that other than an emphatic "YES!" Coming from Nabooru, the question would have been harmless teasing, but with Aveil he could not be sure. The knight of Hyrule struggled to keep his thoughts focused on Zelda and his mission, but when a foot gently massaged his calf under the table and Aveil smiled at his stunned expression, he recalled the feeling of her body against his during the long talk they shared.

"This is not something any of you should desire!" Samiyah snapped loudly enough to quiet the rising uproar. "There is nothing fun about sex. We're only doing it to preserve our race." Remembering his suspicions that she had been raped by Hylian diplomats, Link kept the stories he'd heard of how great sex was to himself.

"I think it will be fun!" a voice from the whites protested happily, and he felt faint when he realized it sounded like Gelbooru.

"You think that because you are a virgin. There is nothing fun about sex," Samiyah repeated without turning to whoever spoke. "We're doing it to preserve our race, and that's all men are good for. Isn't that right, Link? Isn't sex only enjoyable for males?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Did she truly expect him to call himself worthless? "I wouldn't know."

His answer silenced the large gathering more effectively than Samiyah's orders, and the pause in discussion gave him time enough to realize his mistake. A sea of golden eyes widened as the surprised older woman asked, "You are a virgin?"

Link gulped and nodded, not trusting his voice, but the people here did not laugh at him for his lack of experience as his fellow knights sometimes did. On the contrary, Aveil's smile widened and many of the women bore into him with more interest than before, and though it embarrassed him, it also strangely aroused him. Would Zelda ever look at him like—He banished the thought.

"I'm happy so many of you like our guest," Aveil announced for all to hear, "because I have something special to say about him. Link, it's unfortunate that you did not wear blue today. It would have made this moment perfect." His eyes widened in horror. Surely she wouldn't. She had promised not to. "Link's stay has been a constant controversy, but now I can tell you with complete certainty that he is the Fierce Deity incarnate."

Her older sister said nothing at first. No one knew how to react, least of all Link. It was absurd that she proclaimed him a god when he couldn't move his arms, absurd that someone would proclaim that at any time. He did not face the crowd, afraid of what he might find in the expressions of the women he knew. Had his progress in earning Abia's trust been ruined? Would Nabooru be disgusted with him for this after he just promised never to lose his humility?

"Aveil, perhaps it's too soon to make such a judgment," Samiyah tried, but the queen proceeded confidently.

"It is not too soon. He proved he has the spirit of a Gerudo when he crossed the haunted wasteland. The mark on his hand and the fact that he used the Silver Gauntlets are proof of divine connection, and he is the only person who has ever successfully resisted Twinrova's possession spell. Finally, he confided in me that he came upon Oni's mask and bonded with it. None outside the desert know that Oni's spirit was sealed in a mask."

"You promised not to mention that," he growled quietly. Constant temptation he could handle, but not this breach of trust. He felt more violated than he had when the white pinched him.

"I'm sorry, but my sisters have a right to know that Oni has returned. Having said that…I see the wisdom in your advice, Samiyah. I have accepted that he is Oni, but I understand that not everyone is convinced. That is why I will fight him again in front of everyone once he has healed so you can see for yourselves."

Despite how flustered he was, he knew staying mad would accomplish nothing. She could not erase what her sisters had heard, and if Oni was this important to the Gerudo then they did have a right to know. "I'll look forward to that. I've always used pain and anger at the world's injustices to push me in fights, even during friendly spars." When he was just a little boy against the world, loneliness and rage at the Great Deku Tree's death had driven him. The faces of everyone who suffered drove him forward, compelling him to endure just one more attack, lash out just one more time. "You are the only person I've ever fought who can bring out my skill without bringing out my pain. Fighting you was…fun."

She gave him the same excited and flirtatious grin which preceded their last battle. "Gerudo can evoke many emotions from a man. I'm glad you can be yourself around me. I find it strange that you preached freedom at the oasis, yet you exercise such restraint."

Such was the way of Farore. "None who let lust and fear control them are free."

"You should teach us more about freedom. In exchange, I'm sure there's much we can teach you. I understand that some of us have already tried."

Link stuttered in embarrassment. "I-I need to leave soon," he deflected. "When I meet with my king, I'll stress that a pair of insane rogues were responsible for the moblin attacks on Kakariko, and I'll inform him of Samiyah's request."

"Don't worry about her request. I have another idea on how to increase our population that I'd like to share with you later, and I've already sent our spies to retrieve a potion for you. I know you're sick of going to the temple by now, but I ask for your help once more in dealing with Twinrova before you leave." Link nodded. "Once you're healed and the witches are gone, Yumn, Nailah, and Abia will accompany you into Hyrule."

"No one can come with me. They would be imprisoned for entering Hyrule."

"We will talk about that later if you really are...Oni," declared Samiyah. "We have already lost Oni to the sands of time once, and we won't risk harm coming to him again. The goddesses of Hyrule are the ones who harmed him in the first place, and I will not trust his safety to their subjects."

"You won't trust them? The entire reason I came here was so our people could start trusting each other!" Samiyah glared at him for raising his voice at her, but he did not back down.

The queen smirked. "We can discuss it later. For now, this meeting is over. I grant you permission to wander the fortress without escorts. Don't be afraid to see me in private if you have any...private concerns."

She stood, and everyone immediately began pouring out of the building. Link tugged at his collar to release the heat produced by the crowd and by his nervous state and stood as well, wincing as his lungs expanded against his damaged ribcage.

A purple several years younger than he blocked his path once the others had left, determination marking her features. "Come see me when you're better, Oni. I know that Gelbooru, Abia, and Nabooru are your favorites, but I can fight much better than a weakling, a bitch, and a traitor!"

Link opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he recognized the golden eyes boring into him. She stared with as much desire as she had shown before in his imagination, and he was just as helpless now as he had been then. His pulse quickened and his jaw went slack before the one who was literally the girl of his dreams. He doubted his body would ever cool down now, even if his collar disappeared.

Emboldened by his speechlessness, she continued. "Our spies have shared their knowledge of sex with me. I was disheartened when you rejected me last time..." Last time? Was she the one who broke into his room the other night? He willed himself not to remember the way she had tucked his hand between her breasts or the way her dream counterpart's warm mouth caressed the most sensitive part of his body. "...but now I realize that I was simply seducing you the wrong way. You like women who take what they want instead of offering themselves to you."

"Your sisters are not those things you called them," he said at last, too eager for an escape to wonder why she labeled Nabooru a traitor. "And they're not my favorites. They're my friends."

The girl invaded his personal space to pounce on him, but gasped in pain just before reaching his lips as someone squeezed her arm roughly. "You have to earn the right to say you're better than someone," Abia seethed, pulling her younger sister away from him with ease. The girl glared at her, blood dripping down her bicep due to Abia's fingernails, but submitted to her dominance by holding her wound and retreating.

"Thank you," he said, hoping Abia didn't think he was trying to make people worship him after what Aveil had revealed.

"Whatever. I'll see you later," she replied moodily before leaving, and he sighed. At least she didn't call him scum as she had before.

His heart still pounded from the encounter as he ventured toward his room. Since it had been too dark when the girl visited him the other night, he had never seen her face clearly before having the dream. Did that mean his dream about her pleasuring him was real somehow, that his vision of the Fierce Deity at a destroyed Hyrule Castle and his vision of the blue woman were real?

No. He wouldn't let someone…do that while he was trying to court Zelda, and he wouldn't let anything happen to his home. But then again, the longer he stayed here the more he realized how unhappy he was, and Gelbooru had just helped him decide that he had to make a change in his life…

His arms throbbed, and he set those thoughts aside as he happened upon the large doors leading into Ganondorf's bedroom. He had spoken to Aveil about not letting fear take control, but he had done exactly that when Samiyah first showed him the Gerudo king's old room. Presently he decided to start taking his own advice. By learning more about Ganon, he could hopefully learn more about the Gerudo.

The hallway outside and the room itself were abandoned, lavish but dusty as though no one had been here since Ganon's disappearance. Old papers littered a desk made of fine wood from somewhere far away, and Link was surprised to find messages written in ancient Hylian, a language he was sure the Gerudo did not know. Did Ganondorf write these? Had he purposely written them in a way his sisters could not understand?

At once he was grateful to Zelda for making him study the outdated language during his knightly training. He wasn't fluent, but he recognized many of the words and wasn't surprised to see "Triforce" appear several times. He was surprised, however, to find several other legends which spoke of great power in the forms of Majora's Mask, something called the Four Sword, and the Fierce Deity Mask. Focusing on the last one, he began reading.

It seemed that the three creation goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore banished Oni to the mortal realm over a disagreement about how best to watch over it. After that, the Goddess of the Sand saved him from dying in the desert, and together they gave birth to the Gerudo race. The Gerudo built two magnificent structures: the Spirit Temple to honor the Sand Goddess, and a building whose name he could not decipher to honor the Fierce Deity. But when the mortals surrounding the second structure began worshiping Oni more than the three creation goddesses, those goddesses punished Oni again, sealing him in a mask and separating the "wicked" part of the world from Hyrule, the land which followed the goddesses.

The story ended with a caveat: the reincarnation of an ancient demon and the true reincarnation of Oni would one day come to the Gerudo, both claiming to be Oni. If the Gerudo believed the demon, it would lead to their ruin, but the passage did not say what would happen otherwise.

Hanging from the wall, a sword as massive and intimidating as its owner suddenly caught his attention. It seemed a normal broadsword except for the tip, which looked more like the wide blade of a war ax than the narrow end of a sword. It made the weapon heavy at the end, a foolish design for a swordsman, but Ganondorf wasn't just a swordsman. He was also a powerful wizard. Link thought that perhaps such a design allowed it to better channel mana, magical energy, and he reconsidered what he had read.

Ganondorf thought that magic made one godly. Given his ambition, it was no surprise he took his quest for power beyond the realm of the Gerudo, who knew little magic. The passages detailing the Triforce took up so much less space than the others that Link wondered if he had only decided to search for the Triforce after failing to locate the Fierce Deity Mask.

He didn't know how much time he spent studying the notes, but out of nowhere an assault on his mind nearly made him vomit. Sensing the same dark power which troubled him at the Spirit Temple, he replayed Nabooru's warning in his head.

I feel like something bad is going to happen soon. I've been sensing magic a lot lately, even though the witches aren't here.

He was unarmed and injured, but that didn't matter; he had to protect the Gerudo. To his confusion, however, whatever had been the source of the magic he felt disappeared, but he still sensed that someone intending to kill him had entered the room. Despite his back being turned to the door, he knew an arrow was coming toward him, but he was simply too weak to dodge or call upon the protection of Nayru's Love.

It pierced the back of his left shoulder, and blood dripped onto the floor, bringing new life to the room. He cried in pain as his already hurt arm became totally useless. Whoever shot him knew his armor was weakest in the shoulder and that he was left-handed.

"You made our queen trust you!" a familiar voice behind him hissed. "You made me trust you!"

"Samiyah?" he asked, feeling faint.

In hindsight, it made sense that Gerudo would be skilled archers. The sand limited movement, which gave fighters with long-range weapons an advantage, yet he hadn't seen a single bow during his time here. Had they intentionally hidden their archery skill from him?

Killing intent radiated from her, and he somehow knew that many others in the once-abandoned hallway wanted him dead as well. What was happening to him? He had never had vivid dreams or been able to sense magic prior to his trip to the desert, and no matter how honed his instincts were from battle, he should not have been able to feel when someone wanted to kill.

Link didn't resist as she grabbed him. He wouldn't have, even if he had been healthy enough to do so. She was behind him, but he wouldn't have seen her anyway, because currently all sense of time had escaped his senses. The recent dreams, the current and alternate timelines, and the killing intent blurred together nauseatingly in his mind's eye until he no longer knew where and when he was. What was happening? Who was he? Sir Link? Hero of Time?

...Fierce Deity?


	14. Chapter 14

**_I have to take this moment to extend my thanks to Blizzaga Saga and Redbrush for this story. It was actually the first Zelda story I read on this site, so it's made my day to try my hand at it. Chapters 1-4 and 10-13 belong to Blizzaga Saga while 5-9 belong to Redbrush. My story has only just begun! So Blizz, Red, I hope I can make you two proud with this new take off chapter! _**

**_14: Fire of Din_**

* * *

><p>Link's shoulder burned as Samiyah dragged him out of his room. The pain of the arrow still lodged in his shoulder was the only thing keeping him focused on what was happening outside his mind. So many things were whirling around inside him that it threatened to drive him mad.<p>

"I knew we couldn't trust you," Samiyah snapped, "Right from the beginning I knew we should have sent you packing back the way you came. I was so foolish to believe that you were different than any other man I've met!"

"What...are you...talking about," Link muttered weakly, his injuries beginning to take a toll on him, "I've done nothing to - "

He gasped when she wrenched him up to face her, her amber eyes blazing with hatred, "Don't give me that innocent act, Male! You know damned well what I'm talking about!"

Link winced, trying to ignore his pain to try and sort out his thoughts, "I don't understand. I've been in my chambers the meeting let out hours ago!"

Samiyah growled, and began pulling him along, "Is that so? Come, then, let me refresh your memory!"

"I've not forgotten anything," Link argued, "I just don't know what you're talking about!"

Samiyah, glared back at him over her shoulder, "We'll see about that."

Soon she was pulling him down the stone steps that led down to the village, where he saw that most of the Gerudo were gathered, some sobbing, and many crying out like wolfos in a rage. At their center was Aveil. The woman's normally cheerful face had turned to stone, hardened with anger, and confusion.

Her eyes turned on him as Samiyah dragged him to her, and threw him at her feet. "I've brought him, as requested, Lady Aveil, as you commanded."

Aveil looked down at Link as he tried to steady himself, but in his weakened state, it was all he could do to keep himself upright. Aveil cut her eyes to the older woman, "I asked you to bring him to me, not attempt to kill him."

Samiyah shrugged, "I thought it would be better if he was unable to use his sword arm."

Aveil glowered at her, but said nothing as she looked back down at Link, "Explain yourself, Link."

Link looked at her weakly, "I don't know what you want me to explain." He reached up and clutched his bleeding shoulder, "Samiyah wouldn't tell me anything."

"Liar!" Someone shouted angrily, "It must have been him!"

"He's the only male here!" Another shouted.

"Quiet!" Aveil shrilled, returning her attention to him, "Link, I warn you, Oni or not, I will have you staked out under the sun until you are nothing but a shriveled corpse if you do not tell me the truth!"

"I am not lying!" Link shouted hoarsely, "I don't know what in Din, Farore, and Naryru's names you're talking about!"

Aveil narrowed her eyes at him, searching his blue orbs for any hint that he might be lying. But those eyes shone with just as much anger and outrage as she felt in her being. He was confused, and weak...too weak to do what had been done.

Aveil sighed, her anger weakening, "A girl was murdered...and raped." Link stiffened, his eyes becoming wide, "It was obviously done by a male, and since you are the only one in the valley, we thought you might have had something to do with it."

Link's horrified expression turned to an angry glare, "Do you really think so little of me?" Link asked, "You've all made it clear that you desire me for one reason or another, but I've turned down every advance you've made, so why would I resort to such a vile thing when you're so willing to give it?!"

All was silent as his words sank in. In truth, each and every woman present had watched him like a hungry hawk watches a mouse since his coming. He had turned down all advances many had made, even the most desirable of them. If he had wanted any of them, he had but to ask, and they would have willingly given him what he asked for.

Link glared at her again, "How was she killed?"

"Strangled," Aveil said, "Her throat was badly bruised by the time we found her, but it was obvious she had been with a man only moments before her death."

"I'm left-handed," Link told her, gesturing to his useless arm and shoulder, "But even before Samiyah shot me, I wasn't strong enough to crush a ripe grape. My right arm is just as bad, but I can still use it. I will admit that my grip is stronger because it's my shield arm, but it'll be another week before I can use it without the aid of a potion, or even a fairy."

Aveil nodded, "The mark on her neck...it was from two hands, not one." She turned to her sisters, "The man that did this is still running loose! Search the valley!" The rest of the women set out, scrambling around the area in search.

"What about him?" Samiyah asked, point her bow at Link.

"He is innocent," Aveil leered at her, "and you've all but crippled him. Samiyah, you must know by now that he is trustworthy!"

"The one that did this could be a friend of his!" Samiyah roared.

"I have very few male friends capable of doing something like that, save for Daruni of the Gorons, and he wouldn't hurt a fly unless it threatened his people." Link said, smiling weakly, "I'll be fine, Aveil. In truth, I may have done the same in her situation."

Aveil growled, "That doesn't change the fact that you, an embassador of Hyrule, was shot by one of my women. If word of this gets out - "

"It won't," Link said, still smiling, "I didn't tell them how long it would take me to return to Hyrule. I'll just have to take a little more time to heal."

"As you should!" Shouted Abia as she and Gelbooru stalked toward them, both glaring at Samiyah, "What in the name of the goddesses have you gotten into this time?!"

Link smirked, "Nice to see you, too, Abia."

Abia scoffed while Gelbooru knelt and started cleaning his wound around the arrow shaft, "This has to come out," she said, "You'll bleed to death if it doesn't."

Link nodded, "I'll stay still."

"Abia, some help?" Gelbooru asked, and Abia stepped behind Link. Gently, Gelbooru snapped the tip of the arrow off, making Link wince, then nodded to Abia. Grasping the arrow from her end, the younger girl pulled just as Abia pushed the shaft through. Link bit back a shout.

"Din's fire that hurts!" Link growled, swaying from the blood loss.

"Men are such babies," Abia scoffed, giving him a smack on the back which made even Aveil cringe, "I'll bet you've had worse!"

"I have," he grunted, trying to grin, "But I can't seem to remember at the mo...ment." Link's eyes rolled back and he fell onto his side, only to be caught by Abia's slender arms.

"Stupid man," was the last thing his mind registered before he passed out completely.

Aveil sighed, "Get him back to his chambers, and make sure his wounds are tended to properly. Abia, you and Gelbooru will stay with him as his guards while the rest of us try to root out this other man before he tries again." She looked at the older woman, "Samiyah send word the gate guards to double the vigil, no one gets in or out, not even that silly post man!"

Carefully, the two women picked up the young Hylian, and carried him back into the fortress.

* * *

><p>Morning came all too soon for Abia, tired as she was from the nights events. Her chin rested on her the palm of her hand as she leaned against the desk by Link's bed.<p>

Link did not move in his bed, barely even breathing. "Stupid man," Abia muttered. What was the point of always throwing himself into danger's path? A true warrior chose his or her fights well, but it seemed Link just chose all of them. It was making her job as his protector difficult.

She let out a long yawn as she kept watch over him. After their escape from the Light Temple, and healing him, she knew of the scars that littered his body. There were many, some large some small, and some that bordered fatal if they still bled. His shoulder wound would undoubtedly add another such scar to his body, bu that didn't mean anything.

He was a beautiful man. That much she knew, even though he was the first man she had met in person. Sometimes she would see a few men passing the valley entrance while she had been on guard duty, but they had not been close enough to see fully. Link made her wonder if all men were so fair. It was one of her thoughts that she highly doubted.

Link was unlike anything or anyone she had ever met. She doubted that any of the others of his gender were so humble, yet so fierce and gentle at the same time, or as patient as he was. Over the time she had known him, she had seen things that would have made her scream in rage had they been done to her, but he took it all in stride.

While she thought of these things, her eyelids drifted lazily down to close, and she was soon sound asleep. This is how Gelbooru found her as she entered the room only minutes later. The sight before her nearly made her laugh. How was she supposed to look Abia in the face ever again when she would always picture her with a line drool running from her mouth while she snored like a stallion?

Link, meanwhile, was sure that he was having a dream. There were no lush forests in the lands of the Gerudo. Yet a forest was where he stood, atop Epona, gazing into a deeper, darker part of a familiar wooded path that he had traveled long ago. A small ball of light floated in front of him, as if beckoning him forward.

Epona moved on her own, following after the light. Link had no control over his long-time friend, only holding onto her reigns as she carried him. Soon the forest gave way to a green field. Across the field lay a small town, a great stone tower rising from its center. Apart from the town was a small farm where he could hear the low call of cattle.

The land, though, suddenly changed to one of a black void. Gone were the green field, the town, and the farm house. In front of him floated the giant face of the Fierce Deity mask. Link wanted to yell, but he couldn't find his voice as he gazed at the mask. Then, to his shock, the mask spoke.

"Soon," said the mask, "Soon you will need me again." The voice was deep, and rumbled like two giant boulders clashing together.

"I looked for you," Link said, finally able to speak. "I could not find you."

"Listen, then," said the deep voice that could only have been Oni, "Let the wolf guide your path back to the place you found me. Climb the tower in which you emerged, to the very top, there you shall learn what you need to know."

The darkness shattered then, dropping away from him and leaving him falling...

Link's eyes snapped open then, eliciting a startled squeak from Gelbooru as she was leaning over him. "Link!" Her startled cry inadvertedly woke the sleeping Abia.

"What? What's going on?" Abia asked sleepily. A groan drew her attention to the man lying down. A small smile found its way on Abia's face at last as he squinted at her.

"Abia? What…" His voice sounded terribly weak to her, which drove a small spike of worry through her chest.

"You're at the fortress." She said soothingly, still smiling her small smile, "They're still searching for the culprit, but nothing's been found, yet."

"How do you feel?" Gelbooru asked

He sat up. "Tired, but otherwise I'm good. My shoulder still burns like fire."

"It should heal as long as you don't hurt yourself," Gelbooru smiled, "I was just about to dress your wounds again."

Abia and Gelbooru sat on either side of him to accomplish said task, close enough that their arms touched. The way he stiffened in preparation for pain told Abia he was not as fine as he let on.

When they finished, he let his arms fall, and due to their position, they came to rest around the women with him. Gelbooru's gasp made him realize what he had done in his tired stupor.

"Ah! Sorry, I…"

"It's okay," she said, and to his shock she held his arm and curled into him slightly. Was she giving him permission to hold her? Abia said nothing.

Experimentally, he pulled both of them closer. With a happy sigh, Gelbooru consented, and Abia relaxed slightly in his hold, so tired from worrying about him all day.

"Thank you..." he sighed. It felt like it had been so long since he last relaxed. He smiled down at Abia, "Why is there drool on your face?"

Gelbooru snorted in laughter as Abia sat up, furiously rubbing her face. "There's nothing on my face!"

"She was sound asleep until a little while ago before you woke up," the younger girl giggled.

Link smiled at her, "Glad to know that I'm so well looked after that you're skipping your beauty rest, Abia."

"S-shut up!"

"She was snoring as well," Gelbooru put in, and Link chuckled, only to wince in pain from his injuries.

Link sobered up quickly, though as he remembered his dream, "Abia, could you send Aveil to me? I need to speak with her."

Abia arched an eyebrow at her, "She's probably still searching the valley. You know that's not a good idea to leave someone like that running around here loose."

Link nodded, "I know, but it's important...I think Oni's trying to tell me how to find him."

Gelbooru sat up in her surprise as Abia knelt beside him, "Oni has contacted you?"

"I think so," Link nodded, "I had a dream about Termina, and the stone tower where I entered the land. Then his mask appeared and told me to climb to the top...I think he wants to tell me something once I'm there."

"But Aveil said you bonded with his spirit," Gelbooru said, confused, "If that's true, then you are Oni, aren't you?"

Link sighed, closing his eyes, "I've been wondering about that for a while now...about a lot of things...I don't know how to describe it. I don't feel...whole...something's missing...something feels wrong!" Growing agitated, Link rose, only to be pushed back down by both women.

"You can't move around yet!" Gelbooru said.

"She's right, you'll reopen your wounds, and then where will you be?" Abia snapped, "If you're really Oni, then you'll be our king! And we do not need a dead king!"

Link groaned from the combined pressure of both women on top of him, trying to ignore the fact that both were giving him an eyeful of there flesh, "I have to get back to Termina! It's the only way to figure this out!"

"That can wait!" Abia yelled, growing angry, "Now stop being stupid before I strip you down and tie you to the bed!"

Link went a little pale, "You wouldn't..."

"And I'd take all your clothes from you," she promised, "Do you really want to walk around the fortress in not but your skin when you know as well as I do what would happen if you did? You're good at stealth, but I doubt you'd last long without boots or pants."

Gelbooru giggled, her face flushed, "That could be fun."

Link gulped, "I'll stay put."

Abia smirked in victory, reaching out to pat his head, "Good boy."

"Funny," Link grumbled as the two women giggled.

* * *

><p>Link slept for the rest of the day after Abia and Gelbooru changed his bandages again, some of his wounds already beginning to heal surprisingly fast. Unfortunately, nothing had been found of the murderer. Samiyah continued to blame Link for the girl's death, one way or another, which Link tried to ignore, made easy by his two guardians, who wouldn't allow anyone in to see him save for Aveil.<p>

Telling her of his dream only made her smile, "You truly are his avatar, Link. As soon as you're healed, we will travel with you to this Termina you speak of, and await your return from the tower."

"If you're caught - " Link started, but Aveil only laughed.

"If we are caught, then you're fellow Hylians will have caught the proverbial wild cat that turns about to fight when she is cornered!"

Sighing in defeat, Link fell back asleep to Aveil chatting with Abia and Gelbooru over what had traspirred throughout the day while they watched over him.

It was another day before Link finally realized that he was famished, and hadn't eaten enough to feet a starving cuckoo. With a vigor that put most knights to shame, he gratefully tore into a roasted goat leg that was brought to him. His strength returned in double after he ate, and finally convinced Abia to let him walk around for fear of growing flabby.

It was an unjust fear. Abia mentally took in Link's body each time she had to change his bandages and knew that his muscles were still as hard as stone. Then she watched, amazed, as he pulled a completely new set of clothes from the small pouch he kept around his waist.

"How did you do that?" She put the question to him.

He looked at her as he dressed in the red tunic, "It's something I learned to make in my time in the forest. It's enchanted to hold most anything I have. I even keep my shield in there when I have to."

Abia smiled at the usefulness of such an item, "Do you think you could teach us?"

Link shrugged, fixing his belt, "It's a simple prayer the Kokiri send to the goddess, Farore, asking her to bless a leather pouch with untold space. You could probably ask the same of Din, since she's who you look to."

Abia nodded, his words making sense. She would have to tell Aveil of this later. "How are your injuries?"

"Better than they were," Link said, his arm now hanging in a sling, "I'll be fine when I get a potion into me."

"Perhaps you should just let it heal on its own," Abia said, giving the young man a gentle nudge in the stomach, "I've seen you drink a fair few potions even when you're not injured. You can't possibly survive on them alone for so long!"

Link sighed as he walked past her, "I have for the past five or six years." Abia tailed after him, not wanting to lose him. Link was resilient, she would give him that. After such a beating, it was a wonder that it had only been a day and a half after his injuries. Now he was stretching his legs, and his uninjured arm.

They made their way down to the valley floor in moderate silence where Link gave a small whistle, calling out to his horse. Epona whinnied at him from across the valley, and came galloping at him eagerly.

"Hey, girl," Link smiled as she nuzzled his good shoulder, "Been lonely?"

Epona nickered at him, shaking her mane, and showering him with sand. Abia laughed, "She has not lacked for attention. It's been a long time since we've had a horse here."

Link grinned, "Well, we'll have to do something about that." He said absently as he stroked her neck. "I know someone that raises horses. She even gave me Eopna as a gift since I was the only other person she'd let come near her."

Abia nodded also reached out to pet the mare, "Horses are good judges of character. If she likes someone, then she will let them know, if she doesn't then she will stay away." The mare leaned into her touch, enjoying the attention.

Link smiled happily, "She's been my companion for the better part of my life since I was knighted."

Abia giggled when Epona turned and nibbled at her shoulder. "I've wanted to ask; why did you become a knight if it's caused you nothing but pain?"

Link shrugged, not really knowing how to answer that one. In the beginning, he'd turned to becoming a knight just to keep away his nightmares. After he had been sent back in time for the last time, everything had stayed with him. His items, and his experiences. Then he had wanted to rekindle his friendship with Zelda, only to find that she did not remember him as he did her. She was different now. Not the woman he had know as he had fought Ganondorf. She was a proper princess, never having to worry except for that one moment in time before he had stepped in and proved the guiltiness of the former Gerudo king.

"I wanted to forget," he muttered as he petted Epona's nose, "Even for a Hylian orphan, my life was hard as a child. The training to become a knight helped me forget a few painful memories." He said, thinking back to all the times he'd gone into battle, and the moment when it all ended, and Navi had left him, "I lost my best friend just before I started training to become knight."

The young woman looked down, "That's saddening. Losing a friend is never easy when you're so young..." she said, seeing reason in his becoming a knight at last, "And you wanting to woo the princess had nothing to do with it," Abia muttered under her breath, a small frown adorning her face.

"What was that?" Link asked, not catching it.

"Nothing," she said quickly, "you were saying something about changing the fact that horses are scarce around Gerudo?"

Link nodded, his smile returning, "I would. Malon raises a lot of different breeds, so I'm sure there's one that's well suited for the desert." His memories of his days spent around the ranch as a guard were always pleasant.

Abia gave smile as well, remembering the last horse she had seen other than Ganondorf's great beast. It had belonged to her mother, and had been a sleek, racing beast. The horses of Gerudo had been smaller than Epona, and had less muscle build, making them faster, but less powerful. Still, they could outlast many horses that carried knights in full armor.

As the day wore on, Link's injuries began to bother him, and Abia had to force him back into the fortress before he exhausted himself completely. It wasn't a hard thing to do. Link was already feeling winded from the heat, though he was beginning to get used to it after so long. Samiyah met them in the corridor, only glaring at him, and saving her words. Link sighed at this, there would be no trust from her until the murderer was caught.

When they entered his chamber's he noticed that things had been cleaned while he'd been out. His sword now rested on the bed next to the Mirror Shield and Silver Gauntlets. There's a small mercy, he thought, At least they still trust me with my weapons.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and tried to slip off his tunic, but his fatigue was getting the better of him with his arm still useless. Abia sighed and moved to assist him. "You men are a useless lot, you know?" She snipped, helping him raise the article of clothing, "If this is what it takes to keep a hero of an entire kingdom down, then our people have little to...fear...oh." As Link's red Goron tunic came off, Abia was once again enthralled by his body.

The day had been hotter than usual, giving him a healthy gleam of sweat across his exposed skin. The dim candle light in the room glistened off of him, shadowing his muscles and face.

He caught her gaze, "Abia?" She looked up at him then, his eyes darkened by the shadows.

"I should..."

He reached out to her, touching her arm, "Stay?" His touch was gentle, like a breeze against her skin, but the feeling of his fingers on her arm sent a jolt through, bringing her out of her daze. Abia repressed a shiver that threatened to roll through her.

She looked up at him, "What are you asking me?"

Link withdrew his hand, "Nothing...just your company." Abia felt a fluttering in her stomach, and, for a moment, felt like giving in to his request. Link's eyes cast an almost eerie, yet beautiful glow in the dim light, and she knew that, bar his injuries, he would not attempt to take her. Even if part of her...

The girl blinked, and shook herself, "No," she stepped back, "I should go, and you need your rest if you are to recover..." she gave a curt bow, "Goodnight, Link." She turned and fled the room.

Watching her go, Link sighed. Sleeping next to her, it was easy to forget his nightmares.

Outside his room, however, as Abia brushed past a confused Samiyah, the younger woman was grumbling to herself angrily. "Since when did I start acting like Gelbooru?!" She questioned herself, marching past a few startled whites who quickly ducked out of her way, knowing the woman's temper. "So he's the first man I've ever met! Does that mean I have to feel like this?!"

She turned into her room, the curtains flying out as she swatted them aside and flopped down on her stomach on her bed. She could still feel to the touch of his hand on her arm, and it made her shiver again. "He's touched me before...so why am I feeling so strange now?"

xXx

After what thought to be the midnight hour, he came awake, no longer feeling tire. Ever nerve in his body was screaming at him that something wasn't right. His eyes came open slowly, cautiously searching the room...that's when the blade fell. Link shouted and rolled out of bed as the sword crashed into the mattress.

He rolled to his feet, searching wildly for his sword and shield, only to stare at two red, mad eyes.

"You..."

The shadow smiled wickedly at his light half, "Hello, Brother Dear, I've come to kill you." His voice was high, and reedy, as if laughter was bubbling up from his chest.

"But I killed you!" Link roared, still scrabbling for his blade. Dark Link laughed madly and swung at him again, the blonde boy rolling away once more and knocking his sword over from the side of the bed. He took hold of the blade with his right hand awkwardly, not used to fighting right-handed. Dark Link just laughed louder.

"Oh, is poor widdle Wink hurt?" He jeered, pointing his sword at him, "Want me to make it all better?" He lunged, plunging his sword at Link's chest. He brought his sword up in defense as well as he could, able to knock the strike away from him for the moment.

"How are you here?!" Link barked out, the pain of his wounds flaring. "The Water Temple is safe, and I haven't entered!"

"Tsk, tsk," Dark Link smirked, "Do you really think that I would stay gone after our last fight?" Link's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, "That's right, I'm the same as I was when we first fought!"

"Din," Link swore, "How is this possible!"

"Ohoho, you're much smarter than that, Brother dear," Dark Link laughed, raising his sword above his head, "You won't get any answers out of me that you don't already know!" He struck again, and Link raised his blade. The two swords clashed, sparks flying from the blades. Link's arm went numb with that one strike, the power behind his shadow's blow far more powerful than he could handle at the moment.

He leapt back, fleeing from the black blade, "You're the one, aren't you? You killed that girl!"

Dark Link smiled sadistically, "Oh, yes indeed! It was so enjoyable, too!" Link glared at him, "Oh, don't look so upset, Brother, she quite enjoyed herself...she thought I was you! Hahaha! With it so dark, she only figured out something was wrong when I started strangling her!"

"Bastard!" Link roared forward, plunging his blade at him, meeting the shield instead of flesh, "That poor girl trusted you!"

"Trusted _you_," Dark Link sneered, "A foolish thing to do when we look so different, eh?" he grinned, "Who shall it be next? That little girl that seems to cling to you so much, or that older one that was in here not so long ago?" Dark Link tapped his chin in thought, then leered at his counterpart, "Maybe I should pay a little visit to your beloved princess?

Link's rage boiled forth, "Don't you dare lay a hand on them!" He raised his blade off the shield, above his head, the metal gleaming in the light. He charged as much manna into the sword as he could, and brought it down. Dark Link smiled, merely raising his shield again, but to both combatants' surprise, the energy from the blade surged out in a deadly arc, crumpling his shield and throwing the shadow against the wall.

The door to his room burst open as Link recovered from his daze and prepared another attack. Abia jumped into the room, her bow string drawn back to full draw. She aimed her arrow where she saw the young man glaring, but nearly dropped the weapon upon seeing the double. "What in the names of the goddesses?!"

"Get back!" Link roared as he brought the blade around again, the energy spiraling out. Dark Link tried to block with his sword, but the blast shattered the blade and sent him flying through the wall.

Samiyah came running in then, her swords drawn, and her glare trained on Link, "What have you done now?!"

"I found your murderer!" Link roared, "Through there!" He pointed with his sword, "Hurry, before he gets away!"

Abia was the first to move, and flitted to the ruined wall, "There's nothing here..." she looked back at him, "What was that...that thing?! It looked like you!"

Link growled and sank to his knees using the sword for a balance. "That...was one of things I wanted to forget." He staggerd back to his feet, "We have to find him before he hurts kills someone else!" Abia darted back to his side to stop him from moving.

"You're in no shape to go chasing after that...that...whatever it was!" Abia snapped, "You're lucky that you managed to hold it off as long as you did!"

"Enough!" Samiyah snapped, pointing both swords at Link, "You will tell me what that thing was, and why it looked exactly like you!"

To her surprise, and Abia's, Link glared up at her, "I'm getting tired of you demanding things of me all the time when you should be after the thing that killed one of your warriors!" He snapped, "As to what it is, it's me! An exact mirror image of me! It has the same strengths and weaknesses as I do, so go his sword first!"

"R-right," Samiyah said, backing out of the room, sure that she had seen something in the Hylian's eyes for a moment that looked like that of a wolf.

Link sighed and looked back to Abia, "I need your help," he said, "And you're not gonna like it."

Abia just shook her head, "I can't do my job properly if you keep jumping into the Bulbo pen."

Link just chuckled, having to lean on his sword to stand, "Sorry to be so troublesome."

Meanwhile, Dark Link let out a mad cackle as he fought down in the courtyard against any Gerudo that came at him. The red-haired, red-eyed shadow was in heaven. Where as Link himself preferred peace, his shadow loved conflict above all. And the women of the Gerudo were certainly giving him that in plentiful supply. Many vengeful women were shouting for the death of their sister, but none had managed to land a hit on the shadow yet.

"Is this really all you've got?" Dark Link asked almost lazily, looking around at the injured warriors, "And here I was told that the women around here were better than the Hyrule guards!"

Out of the shadows stepped Aveil, a furious look upon her face, and her twin blades drawn, "Perhaps you'll find me better sport, Monster." The shadow merely grinned and beckoned her forth, eager to get on with the fight. "Tell me, why is it that you look like my friend?"

Dark Link just grinned again, "Wouldn't you like to know, Little Queen."

Aveil growled and lunged at him, her blades flashing up in an X pattern before crashing down against his shield, in the same motion she sliced across the middle of the shield, pressing her attack, and raised them above her head to bring them back down toward the shadow's head. Dark Link had been surprised by the attack for it had forced him back with the sheer force of the blows, but he was ready for the downward strokes, his shield raised.

Aveil's blades met shield once more, and Dark Link's sword flashed out, grazing her side enough to draw blood. Ignoring the pain, Aveil took her chance as the shadow struck, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable and whipped around, her blades flashing around like a whirlwind of steel between his sword and shield and finally meeting flesh.

Dark Link cursed and staggered back. "You bitch!"

"Only when someone hurts my family," Aveil hissed at him, "Tonight you die, Monster!"

Dark Link staggered back to his feet, the maddening grin returning to his face, "See, that's where you're wrong." He sneered, "Only my original can kill me, and even then, I'm still around." Aveil looked confused, and the shadow just cackled, "Stunning and stupid! I like that!"

"Explain," Aveil snapped, "Why can't we kill you?!"

"Easy," Dark Link's red eyes flashed, "I am everything that is darkness about your beloved Link. He commits no sins, yet I represent all sins, he covets nothing, yet I want all, he loves where I hate, and he lets live those I kill." He laughed madly, "I am everything evil in Link's heart! Everything he cannot except about himself!"

While the shadow threw his head back in laughter, Aveil saw the original coming at him from behind, his sword missing from his hands, yet both arms were spread wide as if to take hold of the doppleganger. Which is exactly what he did.

The gathered Gerudo watched as the injured hero lept and wrapped his arms and legs around his shadow, pinning his arms to the sides. Dark Link screamed in rage as his light-half grabbed him. Link just gave him a weak grin, "Don't you ever stop talking?"

"You bastard!" Dark Link roared, "Release me!"

"I think not," Link muttered, "You've caused me enough trouble for a lifetime." He looked straight at Aveil, "GET BACK!"

Aveil jumped away without hesitation, as did her soldiers. Once they were out of the way, Link began to chant, "_Din, grant me thine flames to quell the evils that plague me, and scorch away the beast within_!"

Dark Link's eyes widened in horror before Link's voice roared out, "_Din's Fire_!"

Link had poured all the mana he had left into the spell, which was quite a lot considering his injuries. Link's body began to glow an angry red as flames sprang from his skin and spiraled around him. The shadow screamed again, this time in fear as the flames licked at him. Once, when he was still practicing the spell, it would have formed a dome of flames around him, leaving himself unharmed. But now that he'd used all his strength, the flames shot up around him in a column of destruction, burning everything around him.

The sky lit up with the flames, almost as if dawn had broken early for the valley. Aveil herself was far more horrified than she had been when she'd found out about the murder. Not only did Link just display just how powerful a mage he was, but he'd put himself right in the middle of what was know as the most destructive spell in the lands without restraint!

"Link, you fool!" Aveil screamed at the pillar of flames. "ABIA! ABIA WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"Here!" Abia yelled, and Aveil whipped around to see her, holding half a bottle of green liquid, and looking distraught, "I-I'm sorry...he insisted - "

"Save it!" Aveil snapped, turning back to the flames where she could hear the screams of the two men, one of pain and fear and the other of rage.

Inside the flames, Link was holding out as well as could be expected. He wasn't able to use Nayru's Love at the same time as Din's Fire, all he could do was endure the flames. A destructive spell of this magnitude broke every barrier around him the would have shielded him from the flames, but taking chances with something as foul as his shadow self was out of the question.

Link felt his captive crumble in his arms, nothing but ashes, finally. He let the spell die. The flames receded back into his body.

Abia and Aveil were at his side in moments, "Goddesses, he's burning!" Aveil shouted, "Someone fetch water!"

"Link, can you hear me?!" Abia yelled.

Link's only response was a slow nod before he fell to his knees, his skin steaming.

=x=

Princess Zelda was having a rare moment at night when she couldn't sleep, not even with the aide of potions. Link was the one thing on her mind at the moment. It had been weeks since he had left the castle for the desert, and not a word from him since. She lay in bed, looking up at the canopy of her four-poster, and all she could think about, surprisingly, was the laughing face of the boy she'd known in her youth.

Back then, even though he was training to become a knight, he always made it a habit to stop in and see her just when she needed him. Life, her life in general, was a morbid task in her opinion. Friendships among others, save for political friendships in the courts, were rare. Link had been a breath of sunshine. They had played, and eaten together in the gardens on their rare time off.

Those were her happiest moments.

And then she had turned fifteen. Nothing short of a miracle could save her now. Her father had made it clear to her at an early age that she would have to wed someone of high rank and status. At the time, Link had managed to make himself a high ranked knight in the courts, and it was her hope that he would be the one. But that hope was soon crushed. Nothing short of becoming a grand duke would allow him to marry her.

And so for three years she'd had to watch as Link literally tore himself to pieces for her, and the kingdom, while she had tried desperately to distance herself from him. She couldn't tell him, because, knowing him, he would do something rash, and more than likely get himself hurt far worse than he ever had.

"Can't sleep, m'lady?" Impa's voice said from the shadows. By now at eighteen, she was used to the comings and goings of the Sheikah woman, and remained calm as she sat up, seeing the woman at the foot of her bed. "What troubles you?"

Zelda shook her head, her blonde hair swaying, "I miss him."

Impa nodded knowingly, "I see. Do you plan to finally accept his feelings for you?"

"How can I do that," Zelda asked, "Father would never allow it."

Impa shrugged, "He's all but retire and left the affairs of the court in your hands." She said, "What's to keep you from changing a few laws here and there?"

Zelda sighed, "A princess cannot simply change laws on a whim...no matter how much she wants to."

Impa just sighed, shrugging once more, "All these years, and I have yet to understand royal politics. My people always married for love. No matter what. It's a shame, though, because many in the town would love to see the princess and the hero wed."

Zelda blushed, "But we can't - " A blazing light lit up the room, and both women looked to the window. There, toward the desert, was a gigantic column of flames. "Link!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry, but I'm ending it here...I love cliffhangers! XD I hope this was a good chapter for you readers! Please don't hesitate to review! I take constructive criticism very well!<strong>_


	15. Chapter 15

_**While I will be writing the story, I'll be using ideas provided by Blizzaga saga, and the story line the two of us hammered out in hopes of working together, but as I said, I'll do my best to make BS proud of this story. **_

_**15: Travel Plans**_

* * *

><p>"My lady I really must protest!" Impa said, "If your father hears of this, then both you and Link will - "<p>

"Impa, you saw those flames," Zelda snapped uncharacteristically, "There's only one person I know that can wield Din's Fire with such force! It had to have been Link! And he would never use that much force behind the spell unless he had no choice!"

"Going to the Gerudo desert in the middle of the night will only cause a riot in the castle," Impa reasoned, "And possibly start a war if things get out of hand. You know how the courts are when it comes to the desert dwellers."

Zelda growled, "I know that _very_ well. Vance brings it up at every opportunity," she said, "And the way that he stares at me!" The princess repressed a shiver. The man disgusted her to no end, and it was this man that was one of the candidates for her future husband! "Impa, I've left him on his own for so long, and now that I know for certain he's in danger, you expect me to do nothing?!"

Impa simply followed the girl down the steps toward the castle grounds, "Of course not, Zelda. I'm saying that you cannot go yourself." She clarified, "If you leave tonight, it would take you all night to get there, then you'd have to get past the Stalfos that walk around at night in the field," Zelda blanched at this, "And, of course, you'd have to get past the Gerudo guards." Impa placed a calming hand on her charge's shoulder, "Zelda, my dear, I've known you since you were a babe, so I know for a fact that you have never been allowed outside the castle walls, let alone across the bridge. I cannot in good conscience let you go out there."

Zelda felt as weak as if she were a child again, looking up at Ganondorf Dragmire again. _Helpless_. "What am I supposed to do?"

The Sheikah woman smiled at her and knelt, "Command me, Princess, and I shall be your eyes and your ears in and out of the castle walls." The princess smiled at her long time friend, seeing her reasoning.

"Please, go to the Gerudo, and bring me news of Link," Zelda said, a small tear leaking from the corner of her eye, "Make sure he's safe."

Impa smiled once more and rose, "As you command, Your Highness." With a crack and a puff of smoke, Impa was gone.

=x=

"You idiot!" Abia roared at Link as the young man came awake again, "Do you know just how much trouble you've cause me?!" She slapped him across his chest, earning a yelp from him. "S-sorry!"

"Ow," Link groaned, rubbing the spot on his chest, then sighed, "I take it Aveil is still upset over my little stunt?"

Abia huffed, looking the man over. He looked like a Redead covered in bandages, thanks to the burns he'd gotten from the spell. "There was nothing _little_ about that spell, you fool," she said, crossing her arms, "It's sheer dumb luck that you lived through that...and how did you know that you could do that with that spell?!"

"Well," Link sighed, bracing himself, "I didn't."

"_WHAT_?!" Link winced as she yelled shrilly, "You mean to say that you've never done that before?!"

"Nope," Link said, watching the woman steam, just waiting for another slap. But it never came.

Abia was just glaring at him with those golden Gerudo eyes. Suddenly she reached out and hauled him up, startling him when they suddenly came nose to nose. "You will never do that to me again. Understand?" She hissed through her teeth, "There is a very good chance, as Aveil has told us, that you are our true king," Link winced, "And it is my job to protect, and watch over you." She looked him straight in the eyes, "STOP MAKING MY JOB SO DIFFICULT!"

Link was thrown back onto his bed with a yelp before watching the girl stomp out of the room, barging past Samiyah as she did. "What did you do to her, now?" The older woman asked of the Hylian, "Must I guard you from _her_ now?"

"Only if I make her angry again," Link chuckled weakly, "How is Aveil's injury?"

Samiyah shrugged, "It was merely a flesh wound. Aveil's is our queen for a good reason. A wound like that would not stop her." She looked the young blond over, "You, however, look like you should start digging a grave for yourself."

"Always a ray of sunshine," Link grumbled, "Still, this isn't over."

She looked at him again, "What do you mean? You killed that thing, didn't you?" She sneered, "Or are you not as strong as you lead us to believe?"

"Strength has nothing to do with it," Link told her calmly, "My shadow self was created by magic. He'll keep coming back until I stop the one controlling him."

"Koume and Kotoke," Samiyah shrugged without care, "Once you're healed, you can kill those hags and be done with them and the shadow."

Link nodded, "Maybe." His eyes felt heavy, and Samiyah saw that he was beginning to drift off.

She took her place as his guard over against the wall, keeping her eyes on him as he slept. "If you really are Oni, then you need to be stronger than this, boy."

Meanwhile, Abia was still steaming. Never had she been so...influenced by another person in her life! It was infuriating to be so emotional around someone, least of all a man, and the first man she had ever met before!

"Hello, Abia."

Abia gasped and plastered herself against the wall. Seeming to walk right out of the shadows, Impa stood before her. "Impa?! What are you doing here?!"

"Checking on the hero," the Sheikah replied neutrally.

Abia scowled. "Don't you have your own person to guard?"

"Link's safety is crucial to that of Princess Zelda. It is in my best interest to make sure he is well."

Why did he matter to so many people? She humphed. "I will need to train to be a better bodyguard. Link is always putting himself in danger because he's such a moron."

Her statement hung in the air, reverberating off the walls due to the Sheikah's hesitation. "Do you hate him?"

She wanted to say yes, but the best she could do was, "When I first met him, I felt weak when he was around. He accomplished things that I could not. But now...now I feel weak when he's not around. He stole my strength. I want it back."

Impa nodded, "That is understandable," she said, "Through the years that I have known him, he has displayed a strength that shames all others." She looked down the hall where Abia had come. "How is he?"

Abia gave her a look, "Don't act as if you haven't been to see him yet." She snipped, "I'm sure that puffed up palace brat wanted to know about her guard dog's well-being."

If the Sheikah found her words offending, she didn't show it. "I have not been to see him. His guard is very observant, and my presence would have alerted her, and I do not need you sisters after me when I will have already made it across the bridge."

Abia sighed, and leaned against the wall, "You saw the flames, I'm sure." Impa nodded, "Then you should know what his condition is. He used a spell without restrictions, and nearly _burned_ himself to death!"

Impa's eyes flashed, "He's not letting himself heal." It wasn't a question.

"No," Abia said, glaring, "He is not."

Impa was silent for a while, thinking of ways to tell her charge of Link's condition. She would be devastated, without a doubt. Then a thought occurred to her. She had something that could fix that. "Show me to him."

"What? Really?" Abia stammered, "I thought you didn't want to be seen?"

Impa shrugged, "You and I have been friends for a while, Abia. Your friend will not attack me while you are with me."

"Don't bank on that," Abia muttered, knowing that Samiyah was more temperamental than she was at times.

Samiyah was leaning against the door frame when the two women came into view. The Sheikah woman put the Gerudo on edge immediately. "Abia, what is this spy doing here?!"

"I'm an envoy of the princess," Impa answered for herself, "We saw the flames he produced with his spell, and grew worried for his well-being. I am here to heal him."

Samiyah moved to block their path, "How do I know that's true?"

Abia stepped up to the older woman, "If you won't believe her, then believe me."

"You are treading on quicksand, Abia," Samiyah snapped, "Not only did you fail to protect him, but you let him put himself at death's door!"

"And what do you care, Samiyah!?" Abia snapped at her fellow purple, "You've wanted him gone the moment he set foot into the valley, even after saving my life! What more do you want?! His _death_!?"

Samiyah glared at the younger woman, "You think I would kill him?"

"_You_ put an arrow through him," Abia snapped, and that was enough for Impa as the Sheikah barged past her and cast a baleful red glare into the older Gerudo's eyes.

"You _will_ move aside, Gerudo," the woman intoned, "Do not take me lightly because I am a Hylian. Link is precious to many, and should he walk the dark path, then do not think that you will avoid consequences."

Before Samiyah could respond, the Sheikah was gone, and moving toward the sleeping Link. Abia was right behind her, along with the growling Samiyah, "Aveil will hear of this!"

"By all means," Impa said passively, "I would welcome a meeting with the queen of the Gerudo." She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small bottle of purple liquid.

"What is that?" Abia asked, "Some sort of potion?"

"Better," Impa said as she lifted Link's head and wrenching the cork out with her teeth. "Link, can you hear me?"

Link's senses, though dulled by exhaustion, were still sharp. Hearing the familiar voice of the Sheikah brought him out of his slumber, and his eyes fluttered open. "Impa?"

"Shh," she pressed the bottle to his lips, "Drink this slowly, my friend. It will heal you." Link nodded and choked as the liquid flowed into his mouth before he drank it down to half the bottle, and Impa let him rest back against the bed. She quickly corked the bottle once more, "Now we wait."

Samiyah pushed past her younger sister and stood beside the bed, "What was that you gave him? I've never seen potions that were colored like that."

Impa shook her head, "This isn't a potion." She said, "It's a gift from the Great Fairies. Their tears have amazing healing powers, and are not lightly given."

"Those are tears?" Abia asked, "Our tears don't look like that."

"You aren't a fairy," Impa said, before stepping back from Link, "Watch out, it's starting."

"What - ?" Samiyah started before Link's body began to glow golden. Link groaned as the tears did their work. The blood that had seeped through his bandages and the burns on his skin hissed and steamed away.

Suddenly, if only for a moment, a azure marking appeared on his forehead along with four crimson markings on his cheeks. Impa's eyes widened at this. _What was that? Those markings were those of the - _

"I'm going to get Aveil," Samiyah said, looking at the Sheikah, "You may stay or go, it doesn't matter."

Brought out of her musings, Impa nodded, "I will stay. It seems as if we have many things to discuss." She said as the markings on Link's face disappeared.

=x=

Link remembered.

Across the desert lay the Spirit Temple. Across the land to a place that was impossible to return to, no matter how much he had tried. The tall tower called out to him, beckoning him back. Atop the tower was the face he remembered having for only a few moments of a battle. A spiraling sword within his grasp. A man holding out his hand for the demonic mask, and his sword cleaving the mask in half.

He had opened his eyes, and never set foot there again.

His heart ached to return there. To see the wonderfully calm fields of Romani ranch. The smell sea breeze from the east.

"Why don't you come back?" A girl's voice asked, "She misses you, you know that, right Grasshopper?"

Link came awake again, jolting up from under the covers with a gasp. "Link!" His head snapped up at the sound of Aveil and Gelbooru's voices and saw them, along with Impa, Abia and Samiyah around the foot of his bed.

"How are you feeling?" Impa asked, "I imagine the effects of the tears are a little disorienting?"

Link shook his head, "I feel fine." He said, rolling out of bed to his feet, feeling strength rolling through his muscles once again, "Better than fine," he smiled, "I feel great!"

"Good," Impa said, "then you must explain to me why you deemed it necessary to use Din's Fire in such a manner that if could be seen all the way to the castle."

"It's nothing good," Link told her as he began searching for his tunic, "I need to leave for the Kokiri forest soon."

"Now?" Aveil asked in slight shock, "But you've only just recovered!"

"I know, but my dreams keep calling me to the same place, Aveil." Link sighed, finding his Goron tunic and pulling it over his head, "I feel that if I don't go there soon, something terrible's going to happen. The Moblin attacks, I think, are just beginning."

Impa frowned, "I think that you must be right." She said, "Only a day or so back, I encountered a...person that had interest in the Master Sword."

Link looked at her in interest, "And what did they do?"

"The person couldn't touch the sword," Impa said, "But they did say that our princess is in danger." She shrugged, "I've checked around the borders, and all around Castle town for any sort of rumors or whispers of rumors, but I've found nothing."

"The courts?" Link asked.

"I haven't heard anything of interest...accept that Lord Vance and the others are pressuring His Highness about Zelda's marriage." Impa growled out.

Link growled as he took up his sword and strapped it to his back along side his Mirror Shield. "Over my dead body. She may not love me as I love her, but I'll be damned if I let her be forced into something she doesn't want!"

Aveil smiled at him in her taunting manner, "So, you are going to the tower to awaken Oni?"

"Yes," Link sighed, "Twinrova will have to wait, but you'll have your king."

Impa smirked at his, "King? You have been busy haven't you?"

"you have no idea," Link sighed, turning to the woman, "Will you deliver a message to the King for me?"

"Of course."

Link nodded gratefully, "Tell him that in one week's time, the king of the Gerudo people will have returned, and requests an audience with his Highness." He said, "Hopefully, by then, I will have everything sorted out."

Aveil nodded, "Abia, go get Yumn and Nailah. You three will be Link's escorts while he travels."

"Yes, ma'am," Abia flitted out of the room.

Link gave the woman a slightly worried look, "You know I still don't like the thought of them being put in danger because of this?"

"They know the risks," the queen smiled, "Besides, if this all works out, then something good is bound to befall my people." She sauntered up to him as he pulled on the Silver Gauntlets, "But you also need to be on guard yourself. Remember that shadow creature will not stay down for long if its warning stand true." She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, much to his embarrassment, "That was for luck."

Link blushed and strode past her, "Luck has been on my side since I started my life."

=x=

In the dark cell that was his home, Ganondorf sat against the wall staring into darkness. His strength, thanks to his magic, had not left him, but without his desired power, there was no way of escape. For eight years he had sat down here because of a boy. A child! All of his plans and dreams ruined by a mere babe!

"Well, look what we have here?" Said a high, reedy voice as a shadowy figure appeared in his cell, "Just where Master said you would be!"

Golden eyes blazed to life at the sound, "Who are you?"

The figure chuckled, "Oh, my name is not important right now. What is, is that soon, when he is strong enough, my master will free himself and come to free you!"

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><p><em><strong>So begins a new journey. <strong>_


	16. Chapter 16

_**16: Horse Sense**_

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><p>"Daddy, wake up!" Malon shouted for the hundredth time, "We've got chores to do, and Inko's slunk off somewhere again!" Talon came awake with a jolt, tossing one of his cucco's off his head. Malon dodged the bird expertly, this being a reoccurring situation.<p>

"What in tarnation?" Talon asked sleepily blinking at his daughter, "Oh, girl, you're gettin' ta be more an' more like your ma every day! Let a poor old man catch some shut-eye!"

Malon, hands on her hips, marched into the room and grabbed Talon by his ear, "Daddy, we don't have time for this! That old fart, Vance is paying a visit to the ranch again!"

"What?!" Talon shot up and pulled on his boots, then barreled out the door, "Ain't no fat, lazy lump gonna get my li'l girl!" Malon smiled after her father lovingly. Lazy he may be, but when it came to protecting his daughter, Talon was almost as fierce as Link had been when bandits had attacked the ranch while he was on guard duty for the month.

Meanwhile, Talon got to work in the stables, feeding the new arrivals, and cleaning out the empty stalls. The new inventory for work beasts had impressed him. Hylian stallions were good battle horses, but to have something as rare and as large as Ordonian mustangs was something. What was more was an even rarer breed. No more than three days ago, Talon had come across four Gerudan racers, leaner than any other horse alive, and faster, the fastest horses he'd ever laid eyes on. Luckier still one of them was a young stallion whilst the others were mares perfectly fit for breeding.

Unfortunately, as rare as the beasts were, they were sure to attract the attention of horsemen. Lord Vance being one of them. Yes, Lord Vance of Castle Town often visited the ranch in search of new stock for his men, and for recreational riding. What the lord didn't realize was with his immense weight, he was sending the horses to pasture far too soon for their age. The horses would be sway-backed within two years, and unfit to ride within three. Honestly Talon thought the man should invest in Ordonian Mustangs. The creatures were large and powerful, and, while not as fast as a Hylian mustang, were a hardy breed that would out last any battle horse in stamina.

No sooner had he thought of that than he heard the thunderous pounding of hooves, signalling the arrival of his latest annoy-er-customer. Talon sighed and hefted the pitch fork over his shoulder and strolled outside. Of course, there sat Lord Vance atop a tired-looking mount that was already showing signs of sway in it's back.

"A fine day to you, Lord Vance!" Talon greeted pleasantly, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Good day to you, Master Talon," the man greeted him, though his tone was less pleasant, "I've heard you've gotten in some new stock, and I've come to have a look at them."

Talon chuckled, though he felt no pleasure or humor for the man, "You're in for a treat, then. I've two new breeds to show you if you're interested?"

"But of course," Vance huffed, stepping down from his horse, "I wouldn't have come all the way out here if I wasn't!"

"Right," Talon sighed, "Won't be but a moment." As Talon strode back inside, he caught sight of Malon sneaking out toward the corrals, probably hoping to hide out in the storehouse. he felt a smile tugging at his face when he thought of all the times she had barked at the fat lord for his insolence toward her. She really was just like her mother. Strong willed and dangerously sharp with her words when she wanted to be, but she was a gentle soul that would rarely raise her hackles unless she was thoroughly upset. _Must be her Gerudan blood, _he thought as he roped one horse of each new breed and led them out of the stable.

Lord Vance's eyes first fell on the small and fair Gerudan Racer. It was a small, sleek black horse with thin legs built for speed, as was the rest of the animal. But, thankfully, though the beauty of horse had enthralled him, the Ordonian mustang was something he had never seen. It was a gigantic Palomino with tufts of hair around its hooves and a large muscular build meant for nothing but strength.

"Magnificent!" Vance said upon seeing the great beast, "What a find, Talon! I must have him!"

"Are you certain?" Talon asked, feigning worry, "His breed is quite expensive."

"I care not," Vance said with a wave of his hand, "This beast would make a superb riding horse for me, and I look forward to future colts from him with my stock!"

"As you wish," Talon grinned, "I would ask three thousand rupees for him."

"Bah," the lord said, "I'm sure you are merely looking to make a profit with that sort of money, fifteen."

"One must always turn a profit," Talon nodded sagely, "Twenty-five."

Lord Vance stroked his chin, twirling his fingers around the stringy little beard there, "You are correct on that matter...I shall offer two thousand and no more."

Talon thought about it for a moment, knowing full well that if he refused there would be trouble later, one way or another, but in truth he had paid for the horse for far less than he was asking for. "Done." Talon smiled with true cheer, "Shall I have some riding gear made for you, or do you prefer your own?"

"I prefer my own," Vance said said, reaching for his wallet, and pulling out ten gold rupees and handing them to Talon before taking the rope of the mustang. "Where is that lovely daughter of yours this morning?"

Talon shrugged, "Oh, she's most likely gone off with a friend of her's. She goes away from the ranch quite a lot these days," he sighed with mock sadness, "It won't be much longer until she brings home a man for me to put the fear of the goddesses into."

"I see." Vance said, almost sneering. "Well, I thank you for the fine horse. I'll be go - "

"_AAAAAHHHH_! _Help me_!"

Talon looked toward the gate at the terrified scream and saw none other than Epona running full speed toward the ranch with a young Gerudo woman flopping around in the saddle barely holding on. Talon acted quickly and grabbed one of lord's accompanying knights, "Hold your arms out, lad, and get ready to catch!" Talon shouted and raced out to the horse, and gave a shrill whistle. Epona recognized her old handler, and skidded to a rough stop, throwing her passenger right over their heads.

The knight now understood what the rancher had meant and held out his arms as the girl came careening toward him, and crashed right into his arms. "Oof! Thank the goddesses that's over!" The girl said, then looked up at her savior, "Oh...th-thank you..."

"Groose." The young man said, setting the girl on the ground hurriedly.

Talon came up to the pair leading Epona by her reigns, "What were you doing with this horse, young lady? I know for a fact that you are not her owner."

"Yes, I know that's Link's horse," the Gerudo girl said, "We were on our way here to buy a few horses when I asked if he'd mind if I tried riding her."

Talon chuckled along with the other knights, "I take it she didn't take too kindly to that?"

"No, actually she was very friendly," she said hurriedly, a small blush on her cheeks, "B-but a Deku Shrub popped up and spooked her...and she came running here."

Vance leered down at the girl, "That had better be the truth, or I shall have you imprisoned for horse theft." He smirked, "Then again, a Gerudo in the castle dungeons may not last as long as an ordinary woman." Talon had to resist an urge to knock the man down for that. But Vance wasn't finished, "But theft or no theft, your people are not allowed in Hyrule, so either way I must - "

"Do nothing!" Again the troop turned toward the gate, and saw Link, along with two more Gerudo women. And Link did not look at all happy to see the fat lord. Or vise versa.

Vance simply sneered at the sight of the boy, "Oh my, look who we have here...the commoners' hero." Many of his men, minus Groose, laughed at this. Groose, a young man in his late teens, had come from a similar background. He was a young knight trained from a commoner. And he respected Link for his deeds, and devotion to the people. It was merely his bad luck that he worked for Vance. "And what do you mean by nothing?" Lord Vance asked haughtily, "You know that because of Ganondorf, the Gerudo are not allowed to enter Hyrule."

"Unless they are escorted by a knight," Link affirmed, "You forget, Lord Vance, that I meet the requirements for their entry. As such...it's none of your business why they're here."

Vance turned an angry red, "Why you insolent little - "

"I can have His Highness confirm that little law, if you'd like," Link suggested, "Though I'm sure that he will tell you the same as I have. Nor will he be happy with the waste of his time." Vance's beady little black eyes widened at the veiled threat. Not once had the young knight ever done or said something like this to him. And it was a good threat. Nothing the lord could say would save him. He knew that particular law very well.

"Very well," Vance said at last, "On your own head be it. It's not like I care if you lose face by consorting with harlots."

None of the women, thankfully, drew their swords. Link sighed in relief as Vance remounted his horse and led his troupe away, young Groose lingering. He gave a short bow to the girl he'd caught, "I would keep practicing. Not all men are nice enough to catch a lady when she falls."

She batted her long lashes at him, "I'll keep that in mind, Groose." She reached up and tapped his armor with her finger, "Feel free to come see me in the valley. Just so you know, my name is Nailah."

Groose tipped his helmet, "A pleasure - "

"Groose!" One of the knights yelled, "Keep up, will ya?!"

Groose cursed his luck and slowly made his way back to his group. Talon chuckled as they disappeared, "Boy's got a good eye."

=x=

"Of all the idiotic, slack-jawed, fat tubs of lard - !"

"Abia, calm down," Yumn giggled, "Link already warned about men like him, right?"

"That's not the point!" Abia raged, "He insulted us just because of who we are, and never giving us a chance to let ourselves be know! What kind of a man is that?!"

Malon came into the dining room with a steaming pot of stew, "A fat, smell, ugly, dirty, disgusting pig," she said, plunking the pot down on the table, sharing some of Abia's anger, "That's what! You know I've had to deal with that man every time I went to sell our milk in Castle Town? He just won't leave me alone!"

Talon and Link shared a nod. Neither one of them, obviously, cared for the man. Link thought of him as a useless lay-about that only knew how to complain. More often than not, he was the very reason for Link's hardships. Talon just thought he was an idiot that loved to cause others strife.

"Ah, well, what can ya do?" Talon shrugged as Malon began filling their bowls, "Really can't win against fools; is what Pa always said." He said, looking at the young hero, "So what brought you this way, Link? Nailah said something 'bout buy a few horses from us?"

"That's right," Link smiled, thankful for the change in subject, "We're were heading toward my old home to look into something, and I thought it would be easier on everyone if we each had a horse instead of just me."

Malon nodded at this, "That makes sense, and it's right nice of you, Link." She passed him a bowl of stew, which he happily dug into, "As much trouble as I'm sure you've caused these girls, I'm betting some comeuppance is due?"

Link gave her a mock glare, "Me? Trouble? I don't know what you're talking about, Mal."

Malon huffed, and glared at him,"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Fairy Boy!" Nailah and Yumn sputtered at her nickname for him while Abia just looked at her in shock. "We both know that you are, without a doubt, a magnet for trouble! Remember that mishap you had with the milk cart you helped me with?"

Link blushed, "How can I forget when you keep reminding me?"

"What happened?" Nailah and Yumn leaned in eagerly.

Talon chuckled, "Oh, it was nothing major." He said as Malon passed him his bowl, "While Link was younger, Malon and I needed a little help getting a cart into town." Link and Malon blushed as he explained, "While I was talking to the guard, Link and Malon were arguing about something by the cart, and Link bumped into it. Next think I know, both the little sprats were chasing it through the streets!" Yumn and Nailah cracked up while Abia gave a twitching smile, barely containing her mirth. "Oh, but that's not the worst bit." Talon chuckled, "They chased that thing all the way to the fountain in the center of town and plowed right into it. Spilled the milk all over the place, includin' the fountain!" Talon laughed, "When I caught up, those two had fallen in and Malon looked like she was trying to drown 'im she was so pissed! Drenched head to toe in milk, both of 'em!"

Not even Abia could contain herself this time as Yumn started thumping the table in laughter while Nailah had fallen to the floor. Link was blushing as red as his Goron tunic. Malon, a shade darker than her hair.

"I'm surprised you didn't reprimand them," Abia chuckled, "Such a waste would have warranted grave punishment in Gerudo."

Talon just chuckled, "Oh, I was mad alright," he said, "But the sight of two twelve year old kids fussin' and fightin' in a fountain full of milk was just too funny. I think I still have the picto-portrait."

"I hope not," Link muttered, dreading the teasing he was sure to get from the three women.

=x=

"You know you really don't have to sleep out here?" Malon said as Link made himself comfortable on a haystack. "We could lay out a mat in the house if you'd like?"

Link smiled at her, "It's fine, Malon. Besides, after all my time as a knight, I'm used to roughing it a bit." He said. In truth, the hey was more comfortable than any bed he'd slept on. "And I'm sure not gonna trust Nailah and Yumn not to sneak up on me in the middle of the night."

Malon giggled, "Not much of a lady's man, huh?"

Link shrugged and laid back into the hay, "Never thought I was." He pulled his cap over his eyes, "Thanks for letting us stay the night. It means a lot to trust them."

The ranch girl just sighed, taking a seat next to him, "My mother was a Gerudo, so those girls would most likely see me as a sister if they knew." She said, gazing down at his face, "And if you trust them, then why shouldn't I?"

A smirk appeared on his face, "And how do you know that you can trust me?" he felt the hay shift as Malon moved, feeling a shadow pass over him.

"See, that's the easy part," Malon whispered, "Trusting you." Before he knew what was going on, he felt something soft brushing against his lips. Link's head came up, inadvertedly deepening the kiss. He heard her sigh, thinking he didn't mind her kissing him, and in truth, he didn't. It wasn't like when Gelbooru had kissed him in haste. Malon's lips moved over his in an unskilled, yet gentle way that made it more than enjoyable to the young knight. His arms circled around her unconsciously as her hands moved to his chest, resting her fingers against his neck.

True to his recent problem, Malon was treated to the feeling of his manhood prodding her hip. Malon raised up from his lips, lifting his cap from his eyes, letting him see the mischief dancing her her lighter blue eyes. "Sorry, Fairy Boy, that's all you get." With that, she got to her feet and left Link to himself.

Link watched her go, his eyes on the sway of her hips. Then he rolled back into the hay groaning. "Damn, I'm in _so_ much trouble..."

Malon walked back into the house with a wide smile on her face. She'd been wanting to do that for so long now that it felt amazing to finally show Link how she felt. The blush on her cheeks was so bright that it felt like she could light up the entire ranch. As she entered her room she found Abia still up looking out the window, her eyes trained on the barn where Link was sleeping.

"Something on your mind, Abia?"

The young woman's golden eyes turned to her. "I do not like Link being out of sight." She said, "It's my job to look after him, so staying in a separate building is not easy for me."

Malon smiled. "I can understand that. But you don't need to worry. Link's never let anyone get the drop on him yet."

Abia scoffed, "You don't know what he's been through for the last few days!" Just thinking of all the trouble the Hylian had gotten into made her shiver. Many of her sisters would have been killed many times over by half the things Link had been through.

Malon sighed, having seen some of the scarring on Link when they were younger. "I can take a guess."

Abia gave her a questioning look. "You desire him?"

Malon smiled and went to her wardrobe to change. "That much is obvious." She took out her nightgown, and started undressing, "Link's quite the catch." She looked back at Abia, "I know men are scarce in Gerudo, but be honest. Have you ever met anyone like him?"

The young woman turned her head back to the barn. "He's the first man I've ever met apart from Ganondorf."

Malon's dress hit the floor. "That must have been something." She pulled her gown over her head. "Link tends to leave an impression on people, even after a single meeting."

"He is a fool," Abia snapped, startling her, "Not once have I seen him back down from anything, and I've seen him damn near kill himself for the sake of someone else." She sighed out in frustration, "His kindness makes him weak in the eyes of my sisters, but he's so strong at the same time...I don't understand it!"

Malon sighed internally, _Seems as though I have more competition than I thought. _"Yep, that's our Link alright." She said, and strolled over to the bed, "The finest man this side of Hyrule and he gets bupkis from the monarchy." She twirled her hair around her finger absently, giving the girl a look, "He's very easy to love, isn't he?"

"I wouldn't know," Abia scoffed, "I don't believe in such things." She said flippantly, "A man is good for one thing and one thing only and that is giving us little ones."

Malon blushed at that. "Oh, Link's more useful than that!" She giggled, "He's a good man." The pair slipped under respective covers while Malon blew out the lone candle that lit the room.

Abia wanted to argue on Link, but after seeing Lord Vance, she knew full well the difference between men. Link, she knew, was a good man.

=x=

"So he's safe?" Zelda sighed in relief as Impa delivered the news, "What was it that happened?"

Impa sighed, "I don't know the details in full, but he apparently fought a powerful foe that he had no choice but to go all out against." She explained, glossing over many details that she knew would worry the girl. "Now he's apparently on his way to the Kokiri forest with three Gerudo escorts."

Zelda nodded, "I see. Well, that would explain why he didn't drop in the say hello." She said sadly, "What are his reasons for going to the forest?"

"I don't know." Impa said, "But what I do know is that something is about to happen. I don't know what it is or when it will come, but I must begin making preparations."

"What will you do?"

Impa smiled a devilish smile. "I'm going to make some of those fools in the court wish they had never been born."

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><p><strong><em>I did made this chapter to do a little bit of MalonLink romance, though this was to be a multi-pairing, I couldn't pass up a little cuteness from one of my favorite characters. Hope you liked it. If so, leave a review!_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_To those that may wonder, yes, the young Knight, Groose is indeed a Skyward Sword character I brought in for later importance as well as support. _**

**_17: Into the Forest_**

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><p>King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule was a man of large structure, and well respected among his peers for his prowess in battles long past, and quick tongue to those that earned his ire. As of late, the normally wise man had come to be confused by his daughter's sudden change in attitude. Normally, Zelda was the perfect prim and proper princess, yet lately she had become quite snippy.<p>

Since the strange gout of fire had appeared out in the desert, Zelda had been a nervous wreck for a day or so, but then the girl had hardened herself, not even smiling at him, her own father. Nor had she cared for his council meetings with the lords, who, if things went right, one of which would be her future husband. Though as things stood, Daphnes noticed, Zelda would keep drifting further and further away from them and toward the arms of the youngest knight in his army.

As the king thought about it, Knight didn't do the boy justice. He had done far too much for the kingdom, yet he was often put through proverbial meat grinder. A fond smile adorned the king's face as he recalled the first day the boy walked into their lives.

Ganondorf Dragmire had just come to the kingdom to formally greet him as a new king would. The night before, his then-ten-year-old daughter had told him of a dream concerning a boy that appeared to be a Kokiri child presenting her with the Kokiri Emerald, heralding a reign of madness by a yet unidentified man she had described to be Ganondorf when he met the man. Not two minutes after Ganondorf had knelt before him then the very boy from Zelda's dream came barging in with his daughter in tow, and holding the emerald no less.

Ganondorf was as stunned as he was at that time, but it hadn't lasted long. The moment he had laid eyes on the stone, Ganondorf had attacked the boy. From that moment, a life of surprises had begun. Not only did Link step in front of Zelda to protect her, but the boy drew sword and shield to stave off the young Gerudo's attack, and then pulled off one of the most powerful spells he had seen in so long since his late wife as the boy called upon Din's Fire to push the man back.

By then the guards had overcome their shock and moved to detain him, along with the boy. Zelda had clung to the boy when they tried to take him, and Daphnes had told them to stand down.

Link's story unfolded that he had went inside the Great Deku tree to destroy whatever was ailing the forest god, but he had been too late in saving his life. Presenting Link with the spirit stone, he gave a warning to pass to the royal family of a Gerudo King that would come to them. And that had held true. And so Link had entered into his Knights training...and excelled. Within a year, he was easily the strongest out of all his warriors that it was shameful to compare them to him.

And so, when the boy turned eleven, he became Zelda's personal Knight, and the pair couldn't have been happier that he saw. Even Impa seemed to smile more around the child. For nearly three years the two were inseparable...that was until Zelda's first suitor stepped up. It was also the first time the king had seen his daughter fly into such a snit. When the letter of introduction had come, she had been the first to see it. Needless to say, she had come to him in pure outrage.

Link had been right beside her as he explained about the arranged marriage that was to happen if she chose a suitor, and Daphnes saw a look of pain cross the boy's features. After that day, the two distanced themselves from each other. Zelda no longer smiled wholeheartedly, hiding behind a pleasant mask that he could easily see through, and Link had taken to more dangerous field work. Slaying the beast, King Dodongo of Death Mountain had earned him great respect with the Gorons, and Darunia had even named him his brother.

Another exploit led to him being swallowed by the Zora's guardian deity Jabu-Jabu, to rescue the king's daughter, and destroy a parasite that had been killing the poor creature from the inside. Both exploits had led to Link being in possession of all three spirit stone of the respective tribes.

The common folk looked up to him because he was often the one that went out to dispatch Moblin, and Bokoblins that attacked trade caravans, or small settlements. Not to mention being a guard for his latest project of building a bridge across Lake Hylia. Plenty of monsters attacked the bridge, even a new enemy, Bulbins. These were troublesome beasts indeed. They rode equally dangerous mounts, giant boars called Bulbos.

Alone, the creatures were easily dealt with, but in large numbers they were a powerful foe. To add insult to injury...Link had disappeared. Not for long, merely three days, but when the boy had returned, he seemed changed beyond changed. In battle the boy was a demon. He was often privy to tales of the young Hylian's deeds, throwing himself into battle without abandon, yet never allowing himself to be killed. He was so highly skilled that the king had offered him a position in the castle, but Link had quickly turned him down.

There it was. The king knew what was wrong then. Between his daughter and the young knight, if the two saw each other on regular basis, arranging a marriage for his daughter would be impossible. She would want Link, and no one else. It was obvious the boy had felt the same. The king was not blind to his spared glances in the princess's direction, or the adoring gaze she would get when she thought no one was looking.

Despite the girl's cold exterior, and the boy's distance, Daphnes knew.

They were in love with each other. Something the king understood, but for the love of his daughter, couldn't allow. Not only would the lords of the court see this as an outrage, but the neighboring kingdoms would also see it as an insult to allow the princess to marry a common born Knight. Something that could result in war.

The doors to his throne room came open, interrupting his thoughts on the matter as Lord Vance waddled into the room. Daphnes sighed, "Lord Vance...what a surprise."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Highness," Vance said in his high, reedy voice, "But that young lout, Link is at it again."

"Oh?" Daphnes said, "What has he done?"

Vance smiled menacingly, "While I was out at Lon Lon Ranch, that boy rode in with three Gerudo warriors in tow, a clear violation of the law you set forth after Ganondorf was imprisoned. We cannot allow that boy to flaunt the king's laws!"

Daphnes nodded. It was true that he intoned the law to discourage any Gerudo coming into the kingdom to procure a man for their traditions, but Link was well within the law's boundaries as he was a knight, and apparently escorting the warriors through Hyrule to some end. "I'll have a word with him once his business it done in the valley."

Vance smiled again, "I really don't know why you keep that wild animal around, Highness," he continued, "He undermines your rule, and the rudeness he displays toward the other lords - "

"Yes," Daphnes grumbled, "I'm well aware of his attitude, Lord Vance, and I assure you that I will be having words with him. But it does me no good to do so when he's on a long term mission."

Vance nodded with the same sickly sweet smile. "I thank you for this, Highness." With that, he backed out of the room, leaving the kind alone once more save for his guards.

The king sighed once more, "Impa, I know you're there." He said, palming his face tiredly, "Come out and speak your mind."

"you may not like what you hear," Impa's voice sounded from behind him. The guards, though used to the Sheikah's comings and goings, still started as the woman melted out of the shadows to stand beside the throne, "Because it involves throwing that man from the highest tower with a rope around his neck. Along with some of those other fat lords that see the princess as a means to an end."

Daphnes chuckled at the woman's tone, knowing that she would follow through with that, given the chance. "You know that she has her pick of men -"

"But not the one she wants," Impa said, "Face the facts, old friend, she would sooner bite her tongue than marry any one of those oafs. And I am not jesting."

"You know why that can't happen, Impa," Daphnes said with another sigh, something he was doing quite a lot of lately. "The last thing this country needs is a war, especially after the whole issue with that Bulbin raid last month."

Impa sighed, "Then please, enlighten me. Why have you not raised Link through the ranks? He's more than deserving of a title and even land!"

Daphnes harrumphed, "Do you not think I have tried?" He asked, "You know that that sort of thing calls for a vote led by the lords, and each time I've brought it up, they all unanimously vote against him!"

"Then do away with the vote," Impa suggested in a huff, a rare display on her part, "Hylia knows those fat toads have that coming!"

"Impa!" Daphnes said, "Curb your tongue, if any of this gets to the lords - "

"You bade me serve the princess," Impa reminded him, "Anything I say does not effect you, nor will it effect her in any ill way."

"Be that as it may," the king sighed again, "I would rather not have her task be made more difficult."

Again, the Sheikah shrugged, "She has chosen her path, Daphnes. You know that as well as I do. She's more than through with hiding her true self away." She said with a small smile playing at her lips, "My brave, bright-eyed little warrior is coming back little by little."

"Perhaps that is what is needed," Daphnes sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Since Link warned us about Ganondorf's desires, the lords have become far too complacent...that reminds me, you went to the desert a few nights ago, didn't you? What was that blaze in the night?"

"That, My Lord, was Link," Impa said proudly, "Apparently someone is not overly fond of the boy, and tried to use dark magic to do away with him, but he fought back without restraint for once. Zelda nearly climbed the castle walls to get to him until I volunteered to go." It was a half-truth, she knew, but not a true lie.

The king was more than a little surprised, "What caused Link to use a spell like that without restraint? Surely he had other options?"

"I spoke with a young friend when I arrived," Impa went on, "She told me that Link was already in rough shape due to unseen circumstances, and the spell he used was his only option...I will vouch for his condition. I gave him a little of my secret potion. It took half the bottle to start the healing process."

"Ah, this is news...and since when do you have a Gerudo for a friend?"

Impa grinned at him, "A woman cannot befriend another woman?"

"Explain," Daphnes sighed.

Impa chuckled, "I met Abia when she was nothing but a child, if you must know. I was down in Lake Hylia for a short respite, and found the girl washing down stream. Apparently she had been collecting water and fell in. We've been friends ever since."

"I believe you," Daphnes said, "Now, what was Vance going on about? I trust that you have a better idea than he did?"

"Oh, that?" Impa chuckled, "Well, I was told that Link promised to bring horses back the desert, but on the way to the ranch, one of the guards he was with wanted to try her hand at riding. Epona spooked and ran right to the ranch. And that's where the ran into Vance and his company...what he left out is that he outright insulted both Link, and the Gerudo he was with. It was lucky for him that all of them kept their tempers, or else I would think Lord Vance would be without a manhood if Abia had anything to say about it."

The king, and most of his knights, felt a shiver run up their spines at this. None of them wished to anger this _friend_ of the Sheikah. "And do you, by chance, know where this little group is heading?"

"Before I left and did my scouting, Link told me that a new king of the Gerudo would be chosen," her face remained stoic as she spoke, betraying nothing, "His group have gone to fetch him."

"A new king," Daphnes sighed, "I see...well that will make things a little easier with the negotiations, won't it. I look forward to meeting this man."

"As do I, Your Highness," Impa smiled, "as do I."

=x=

Abia looked at the passage into the Lost Woods, the dead trees guarding the entrance, "This place feels...old."

"It is," Link told her, "Not many who enter here ever come out again. Hence the name...this is my home." The three women looked at him with a little more respect. All had heard tales of the horrors of the Lost Woods. The magic of the forest was said to wear down the strongest of warriors, and turn them into Stalchildren, and Skullkids. This is where the Hero had been raised?

Abia's mount, the black stallion that Talon had given to her, snorted in distress. He didn't like the forest anymore than she did. She reached down and patted his neck, "Be calm, friend. Nothing will happen to you here."

"No, it will not," Link smiled at them, "Come, it's time to see my family once again...though you might want to prepare yourselves...they can get a little," Link reached up and scratched the back of his head, "childish."

With that, he spurred Epona forward, the mare trotting into the tunnel happily as she was sure to get much more attention from her little friends. Abia was next to follow as Yumn and Nailah rode alongside her.

What the three women expected, and what they saw were two entirely different things. What they expected was a vast forest of grand trees the likes no Gerudo had ever seen...what they got was a small-_tiny_-village literally carved out of the forest as most of the homes were carved into gigantic tree stumps. And there was a lively, quick melody playing all around them. Abia felt her blood begin to rush. "This place is..."

"Magical," Nailah finished on a breath as the three purple-garbed women took in the Kokiri forest. "Link, what is this place?"

Link turned around a grinned at them, "This is the Kokiri Forest. Home of the children of the Great Deku Tree...and my family."

Suddenly, a small blob of green and orange plopped down on top of Link's head, covering the young man's eyes with his cap. "Guess who, Link!"

"Mido!" Link roared.

"Dingdingding! You win the grand prize of diddly-squat!" Mido laughed as he jumped off his head, landing on Epona's saddle horn, "Like I'd give anything to a runt like you!"

Link huffed and pushed his cap back over his head, "Are you ever going to stop with that runt business? I'm bigger than you are now, remember?"

"Nope," Mido grinned merrily, "You were a runt, and you will always be a runt! So say's the great Mido!"

"Bah!" Link swatted at him, only for the Kokiri boss to leap away like a frog. "Enough of this, Mido. Is Saria around?"

"Why?" Mido grinned, "Here to try to steal her away?"

Link blushed heavily, "She's my mother, you dolt!"

"You're mother?" Abia, Yumn, and Nailah asked at once.

Mido took notice of them and grinned even wider, "Oh, lookie-lookie, Link has three brides-to-be!"

"We are not his brides!" Abia snapped at the Kokiri.

"There's still time," Yumn smiled at Nailah, who nodded.

Link sighed in exasperation, "Mido, please, we need help!"

"Yeah, too bad there's no cure for you!" Mido cackled just as another Kokiri appeared, and one of the only other girls that Link liked as a child.

"Mido, are you teasing Link again?" She asked, her blonde buns bouncing as she placed her hands on her hips, "Saria's gonna get mad at you again, you know that, right?"

"So?" Mido asked. "Butt out, Kimi!"

Kimi just rolled her eyes, green as spring leaves, like all Kokiri, and sighed before looking up at her long-time friend, "Sorry about him, Link. It's rare enough that you find time to visit anymore, and here he is giving you a hard time like always."

Link smiled, "I'm used to it. It's great to see you Kimi. Is Saria in the village?"

Kimi shook her head, "She's visiting the Deku Sprout. You know where to find her, huh?"

Link nodded his thanks before letting Epona continue. Abia rode up next to him, "I see what you meant by childish...are all Kokiri so...small?"

"They're adorable!" Nailah squealed, "They're just like little ones!"

Link nodded, "That's eccentially what they are. As long as they stay within the forest, they remain alive as little children, born of the Great Deku Tree. Until the sprout grows into a tree, no more Kokiri will be born."

The three women looked down guiltily. Ganondorf had killed the Great Deku Tree to start his plans. This weighed heavily over them upon seeing the Kokiri, so lively and small. How could they have let such a thing happen?

Link led them into a small passage that opened up into a clearing. Abia stared up in awe at the once mighty spirit of the forest, now nothing more than a lifeless hollow. "Oh..."

"Saria," Link called out, bringing Abia's attention back down to the ground. Sitting in front of the tree, seemingly speaking with a small sapling, was a tiny girl with emerald green hair like her eyes. As she turned and saw them, her face lit up in the most brilliant smiles she had ever seen.

"Link!" She ran over to them as Link dismounted and knelt down to he could hug her as she lept into his arms, "It's so good to see you again! Look how much bigger you've gotten!"

"It's good to see you, too, Saria." Link smiled.

Saria leaned back, looking at his companions, "Who're your friends?"

Link stood and motioned to them, "Abia, Yumn, and Nailah of the Gerudo, ladies, this is my mother, Saria."

Saria gave them a polite bow, which they returned before dismounting, "A pleasure to meet some of Link's friends." She said, smiling happily, "I worry for this fumble-foot so much that it's nice to know that he has people he can depend on."

Link blushed in mild embarrassment, "I'm not that bad."

"Ahem," Abia huffed, "Where have you been the last few weeks?"

Link rolled his eyes at her with a grin on his face, "So I tend to find trouble? What's new about that?"

"Not trouble, dang-mph!" Abia was silenced as Nailah and Yumn clasped there hands over her mouth.

"Oh, just ignore her, Saria," Yumn said nervously.

"Yes, she's just a little upset that Link is such a good warrior...she's owes him her life, after all." Nailah put in, much to the woman's annoyance.

Saria giggled, "Oh, I know how she feels." She looked up at her surrogate son, "Now, why don't you tell me what you're all doing here, Link? Normally you come to visit, but you never bring guests?"

Link sighed, "You're right. This isn't a social visit, Saria...we need your help."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Things are starting to move along with Link reuniting with his friends in the forest. But what kind of help can Saria be to Link, who needs to travel somewhere he's never been able to return to?<strong>_


	18. Chapter 18

_**18: Inner Self**_

* * *

><p>Saria was not happy with what she was hearing. They sat around the Deku Sprout, the young sapling listening intently as Link went over his story with them, Abia pointing out a few things along the lines.<p>

"So, this is why I have to get back to Termina," Link sighed, "But I don't know how..."

Saria took a deep breath to steady her nerves, "Link...when you came through the forest the first time, that was nearly the end of you. I don't even know how you made it through!"

"I do," said the Sprout, "It was the Skullkid he was chasing."

Abia looked at the tree, "How is that possible? I thought they were mere dead bodies?"

"Not quite," said the Sprout, "You see, when most people venture into the Lost Wood, they become Stalfos, or Stalchildren. Mindless killers. But those that are lucky enough to become Skullkids still have a small speck of their soul left, making them intelligent, but no more than a child would be. All they care about is having fun, and trying to make friends."

Link sighed and scratched the back of his head, "That's not how the one I came across acted."

"That was because of Majora," the Deku Sprout said, gaining a few confused looks from the Gerudo, "Lemme explain; Majora was, or is, a powerful demon, much like the Demon King once was. Majora could manipulate anyone he came into contact with, and take over their body if they wore the mask long enough. His mask gave the wearer a lot of power, and that power became something like an addiction to them, thus Majora could make them do whatever he wanted until he could take total control. A Skullkid would be an easy target."

"I see," Abia muttered, cupping her chin in thought, "Ganondorf often spoke of such a demon. I think he was trying to find this Majora, but never succeeded."

"A good thing that he didn't," the Deku Sprout said, "I'd hate to find out what would happen if those two had met."

"What about getting to Termina?" Nailah asked, "You said the Skullkid had something to do with it?"

"A Skullkid can, and often _will_, travel between dimensions." The sapling explained, "Technically, they _are_ dead, so moving from one realm to the other is easy for them. Sorta like how a ghost can phase through a wall, Skullkids can just hop from one realm to the next."

"So we need a Skullkid?" Yumn asked, sighing, "_That_ doesn't sound like any fun."

"It's not," Link and Saria sighed together.

"Skullkids are really tricky," Link explained, "Nasty, too. If you catch one, you're walking on eggshells. The Great Deku Sprout was right when he said they're like children. They'll fly into a snit faster than you can blink if you're not careful."

Abia just rolled her eyes, "Wonderful, more babysitting!"

"Babysitting?" Link growled at her.

"You know what I mean," she growled back, "One troublemaker was enough, but now I have to deal with another one? Ha!"

"Feel free to go home anytime, Abia," Link said without missing a beat, "It's not like I can't handle myself, and I'd probably be better off without that temper of your's to scare off the Skullkid."

"Temper?!" Abia snapped,glaring at the man, "I'll show you a _temper_!" She rose and was about to hit him when Saria reached out and placed a hand on her, immediately calming her.

"This is not the time or the place for bickering," the tiny girl told them both, casting a stern glance at the young Hylian. "And I thought I taught you manners when dealing with women, Link?"

"They don't hold when dealing with Gerudo," Link said simply, "A wrestling match would be more their style."

"I'd have you on the ground in moments," Abia huffed as she sat back and crossed her arms. Yumn and Nailah giggled. "What are you two laughing about?!"

"Oh," Yumn giggled, "Nothing."

"Just thinking about how you and Link would look sprawled out on the ground," Nailah put in, giving the girl a devilish look, "But who'd be on top?"

"I would, of course!" Abia snapped, causing both women to burst out laughing, much to the confusion of the others...well...Link had an idea...

"Din, I knew she'd be a dominatrix!" Yumn gasped out between guffaws, and only then did Abia realize what she'd just walked into. "Tell, me Link? How would you like that?!"

"My mother's right here, you dingbat," Link muttered with his cap pulled down over his face to hide the brilliant flush on his face.

Saria giggled herself, "Well, at least I don't have to worry so much about having grandchildren as much as wondering who their mother will be."

"Hylian, Gerudo, Kokiri," the Deku Sprout sighed, "None of them make much sense to me. But you may not need to find a Skullkid to get where you wanna go."

"What?" Link perked up, "How?!"

"Saira," the tree said to the girl, "you know what I mean, right?"

Saria rose, her good humor gone, "All Kokiri know...but it's - "

"It's his only chance," the Deku Sprout told her, a sad look coming over his face before turning back to Link. "Go back to the village. Tonight, you'll learn all you need to know. If you can move past this trial, then you may enter the Lost Woods freely, and without fear of the forest's spell taking you, or your friends."

Before Link could question the tree, Saria was leading him away by the hand.

=x=

The next few hours were strange to Link as the little village began stirring with more life than he'd thought possible from his adopted people. The Know-It-All Brothers were driving three thick posts into the ground while Mido attached chains just as thick to them. Later, he helped Saria gather herds she said she needed for a ceremony that would be his trial.

Being raised as a Kokiri, Link knew almost every plant that the forest had to offer. The ones that Saria were gathering were among the most deadly poisonous that he knew of in the land.

"Saria," he asked her as they began to head back to the village, "just what's going to happen tonight?"

Saria looked up at him, her eyes full of worry, just like the first time he had left the forest. "The Great Deku Tree said that with this ceremony, you may be able to pass through the forest." Link nodded to this, his sign that he was listening to her, "This ceremony is meant to connect you with your spiritual self. Something that hasn't been done among us for hundreds of years."

Link remained silent. Saria continued, "First, we will have to speed up your heart beat to match a Kokiri's." She lifted her basket, "I'll use some of these plant for that...the others will be used to make the connection."

"And how is the connection made," Link asked, looking down at the girl that had raised him, "Saria, what aren't you telling me?"

Saria sighed, her breath coming out ragged, "The herbs have to be pushed into your body...and...you have...to die."

This is what led Link to being bound in the chains. Abia was once again glaring at him, "You're sure about this?" She asked, "You do know that most of those plants you brought back are deadly poisonous, don't you?"

Link sighed as he stared at the sight of Saria approaching with the glowing concoction, "I'm sure. The Kokiri have done this when they need guidance from the spirits, or when the wished to find their spirit beasts within themselves."

"You are not Kokiri," she reminded him, huffing, "I still don't believe in this. What I do believe is that you are trying to kill yourself to save me the trouble should you keep pressing me!"

Link sighed as Saria stepped in front of him, "Are you certain you want to do this? No one will blame you if you wanted to stop."

"No, let's get this over with," Link said with a shake of his head, "What's first?"

"We have to speed up your heart," she lifted the bowl to his lips, "Drink." Link did so, drinking the potion down, trying to ignore the sickly sweet taste as it passed through his lips. Almost immediately, Link began to feel his heart race, his breath coming quicker, becoming labored. His vision blurred, almost as if he were drunk, but his head was clear.

"Now comes the next part," Saria's voice reached him, feeling her tiny hand against his cheek, "You must be strong for this, Link, not in body, but in spirit. If you're not, you won't survive. Death will try to break you, but you must not let it. Hear the voice of the forest, of your spirit, let it guide you."

Abia, her nerves flaring, watched as the little annoyance known as Mido came up to Link holding a pipe in his hands. "What's that for?"

"The next part of the trial," Saria explained. Mido positioned the end of the pipe against Link's nose and blew, shooting a green dust into his nostril. Link gasped and rolled his left eye up, struggling. "Hold him," Saria instructed, and Nailah and Yumn came forward to keep the man still while Mido delivered a second dose. Now both of Link's eyes had rolled back, his face and skin paling as a sheen of sweat appeared.

Now he thrashed and pulled at the chains binding him, the two Gerudo jumping back as he roared in pain.

Abia stepped forward, but the Kokiri stopped her, "What's going on!? What's happening to him?!" She glared down at Mido, and reached out to grab him by his tunic, "What was that you poisoned him with, you little demon?!"

Link roared again, drowning out whatever answer Mido might have given, pulling against his chains. The wooden posts began to creak, and splinter against his efforts.

"Is this gonna be alright?" Yumn asked, "I've never seen him in such pain before!"

Saria stepped back beside the irate Gerudo woman as she dropped Mido, "This is the only way he can find a path through the Lost Woods for you. Many Kokiri have done this before, myself included, but I can't recall a Hylian trying it." She explained, "It's a brutal process, but only by a close experience with death can a person gain access to their spiritual self. Link may have been close to dying many times, but he didn't know he would die, then, now he knows that he will die if he fails."

Abia looked horrified, watching Link try to tear himself free. "You're joking! He nearly died in the desert! You're telling me that wasn't good enough?!" Shej stepped around the girl and in front of Link, clasping his face in her hands, "Listen to me, Link, you'd better beat this! I owe you! I'll not have you die before I repay what you've done!" She yelled, much to her sisters' surprise, "You gave my sisters and I hope! You're going to be our king! Don't you dare die on me now!"

=x=

Link felt like he was being torn apart. The potion was working the way it was supposed to, of that much he was certain. In front of his eyes he saw many things from his travels. From his first step out of the Kokiri forest, to his first step into Termina through the woods of that same forest. Then things became strange. he could hear voices calling out to him. His saw the Goron he'd found frozen, providing him with his strength. Then came the poor Zoran that had been trying to protect his children.

The little deku shrub he'd been for what seemed like ages begged for sunlight.

The Goron asked for revenge.

The Zoran feared for his children.

It was so overwhelming that Link feared for his sanity.

"So many voices," he moaned, clutching at his ears, "P-please! Make it stop!"

The voices only seemed to get louder, though, and Link curled into a ball to try to block the noise. Suddenly, a howl ripped through his world, chasing the voices away.

Link blinked his eyes open, wondering what had happened. He looked up to see that he was no longer in the forest, but in a vast expanse of white. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere, I think, you do not wish to be," said a rumbling voice behind him. Link spun around, reaching for his sword, but found it and his shield, gone. What lay before him was a massive gray and white wolf with the Triforce symbol between his ears in white fur. "Greetings, Link," said the wolf, dipping his head, "I've waited a long time for you to come here."

Link blinked his eyes, wondering if, for a fleeting moment, he was finally losing his mind. Then it clicked, "You...you're my spirit beast?"

The wolf dipped his head again, "I am, and I must say that it is about time that we met. So many times you've come close to death's doors, yet you survived by sheer will alone, and avoided our meeting."

Link rose to his feet and gave the wolf a short bow, "I'm honored to finally meet you."

The wolf snorted, "Save that ceremonial trash for the castle. You know it has never suited you, though you continue to fool yourself into thinking it does." The wolf then rose to all four feet, "Now, I believe you needed my guidance?"

"Yes," Link said eagerly, "I have to find a way back to Termina! The Great Deku Tree said you might be able to help me pass through the forest without it's spell effecting me or my friends!"

The wolf was silent for a moment, then closed his eyes, "To do that, you must first become one with me. As your spiritual self, you and I are the same. As such I am you and you are me, and yet we remain separate." Link nodded, trying to follow the wolf's logic. "The reason for this, is that you do not know yourself."

Link looked confused, "But I know myself well enough. I know what I'm capable of, and what I'm not, and I know where my heart is."

"Ah," the wolf said, "But you look at me, and you see something different. Tell me, what is it about you and I that you have not excepted?"

"I - "

"What is it that you search for," the wolf asked, "I know what you seek for others, but what is it you seek for yourself?"

Link thought about it for a moment, but nothing came to mind. Wolves were scarce nowadays because they were just as feared as most monsters. And they were intelligent creatures, too, Link admitted, and always...

"Where is your pack?" Link asked, realizing that wolves were hardly alone.

The wolf dropped his jaw in a grin, "The question is, Link, where is _your_ pack?" He asked, "From the time that you were a pup, you have been raised as Kokiri, yet you are not. Then you became a knight for a people you thought were your own, but they are not. Now you seek to return to a realm that is not your own, yet has given you many nightmares. Why?"

"I have a duty - "

"Duty to one's alpha is good," the wolf said, "But duty to one's self if never bad. Now...what is it you seek?"

Again, Link thought long and hard about the wolf's question. He thought about the time when he was little, growing up in the forest, laughing each and every day even when Mido was teasing him. His time in the castle, talking and playing with Zelda before everything had gone wrong. His time at Lon Lon Ranch, arguing with Malon when she was being too pushy, and laughing about it later when they were apologizing to each other.

Then there was his time in Termina. There he had had many of the same things. But they were all centered around Romani. It was her that made him laugh, made him feel the warmth of being around someone he cared about. It was that same warmth he felt from the women of the Gerudo.

"I...I want to belong somewhere." Link said, "I'm tired...of being lonely." He looked at the wolf with a small smile, "I don't want to be a lone wolf anymore."

The spirit wolf smiled, "Well done." He said, and began to disappear into a small golden light before passing into his body, making him feel warmer. He felt a new strength surging through him, his senses were heightening. His eyes became clearer, his hearing sharper, his sense of smell more powerful...all the senses of the wolf.

_Go now, to where wind calls for you. _

=x=

Link suddenly started howling. Not in a pained sort of way, but in the way a beast would. Then, much to Abia's horror, his face began to change, elongating into a snout, his mouth sprouting row upon row of razor-sharp fangs. "What's happening now?!"

"He's won," Saria said tearfully, "He's awakened his spirit beast!"

Another howl ripped through Link's chest as his bones creaked and cracked, twisting and growing into their new shape. Light then erupted from his body and he was gone. Abia looked back at where the man once stood, seeing a large, beautiful animal. Link stood almost as tall as Epona, and most likely came close to her weight. His new body felt powerful, and dangerous. He looked down at his paws, seeing no trace of his human body left. He looked back up to see his friends. Abia, Yumn and Nailah were clustered together, all looking scared out of their wits, while Saria was beaming at him.

"Link," she stepped forward, and placed a gentle hand against his fur, "Look how beautiful you are...I've never seen such a change before!"

"Saria, get back," Yumn hissed at her, "He might - "

"He won't hurt me," she told her, "Link's too gentle to harm a friend." As if in agreement, Link gave her face a lick that made her giggle.

Then he reared up, and was cloaked in the same light, bursting back into his Hylian self. Fully clothed, thank the goddesses.

"Farore, what a rush!" Link gasped, "I never knew such...freedom...such -oof!" Abia tackled him to the ground, hugging him around the middle.

Link was surprised of course, but no less happy...that is, until Abia sat up and glared at him, "Uh-oh..."

"You idiot! Why didn't you warn us what was going to happen?!" She snapped, taking hold of his tunic, "Do you know how worried I was?! What if you had died?! What was I supposed to tell Aveil then, huh?!" Any other day, Abia's rage would have made him tuck his tail between his legs, if he still had a tail, but the effect was ruined as angry little tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Much to her surprise, she felt Link's arms wrapping around her, holding her against his chest. Her face heated up as it normally did when he did something like this, and it had been some time since he had, making her hide her face from him, as she could already hear Yumn and Nailah cooing annoyingly.

"I keep telling you," Link told her, "It's hard to get rid of me." He drew back, smiling at her, "But thanks for worrying...we need to hurry though. I promised you a king in a week, and it's already been two."

Abia nodded and pushed away from him as she rose, "Then let's get going. If this is going to guide us through that cursed forest, then we should pack lite, so we don't weigh the horses down."

"Agreed," Link said, then looked over to his other two companions, "Nailah, I need you to ride back to Lon Lon, and have Talon deliver an order I left for him, if you don't mind? We made a little deal for your people."

"Deal?" Nailah asked in interest, "What sort of deal?"

"Oh, just something that's been long overdue," Link smiled, "I've asked him to send for one of the better knights so that you won't get in trouble with the guards, so it'll be safe for you to travel."

Nailag shrugged with a slightly disappointed pout on her face, "I'll be sorry to miss out on the action, but I guess I have no choice." She looked over at Yumn, "Try not to hog him all too yourself, Sister."

Yumn giggled, "I'd have to get past Abia fir- "

"Alright!" Abia snapped, cutting her off, "Link's given you an order, so snap to it! Yumn, get the horses!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Both yelped, and scurried off.

Mido placed his hands behind his head as he watched the three, "Girls sure are scary."

Link choked on a laugh, "For once, I think we agree on something."

=x=

"Alright, you two, I'm expecting answers," Nabooru said, her arms crossed as she regarded to the twin witches. "Or should I have Lord Oni deal with you?"

"Of course not!" Shrieked Koume.

"We'll answer what ever you ask!" Shrieked Katoke.

Nabooru nodded, "Good, first I want to know something about those Moblins that attacked the temple a few days ago. They weren't your's, obviously, so whose were they?"

"We don't know," both answered.

"The Moblins we sent out were to search for Ganondorf," Koume continued. "But we have no idea where he might be as his magic is being shielded from us."

"Most likely a powerful ward set up by the court wizards in Castle Town," Katoke said, "Even we could get past that sort of light magic."

Nabooru sighed, _Useless old hags. _"Okay, then, Link said you may be drawing power from another source somewhere...what is it?"

The witches looked at each other, then sighed, "No sense hiding it if Lord Oni knows." Katoke said.

"Yes, he would surely kill us for not telling him this," Koume sighed, then turned back to Nabooru, "What we've been using, and it _is_ powerful, is a source of pure dark magic the like we have never seen before."

"Ganondorf, in his search for the Triforce, came across a temple far to the East," Katoke said, "There he found a tomb that was sealed tightly with an unknown source of power. It was a light magic cast by Hylia herself. Ganondorf could not touch it."

"But he was able to make a connection to it," Koume cut in, "It was there that he drew his own power. Very little, for he feared this relic. We, made the same connection, but draw double the power between the two of us."

Nabooru was startled. Ganondorf, afraid of a tomb? "Do you know what was inside it?"

"No," both said again.

"Alright, then where is it?" She asked, fearing something terrible.

"It lay in the Sacred Grove in Ordon," Katoke said, "And if I were you, that is where I would let it stay. Even we couldn't handle that thing if it were released from the tomb, whatever it is."

"We only use a small sliver of it's darkness to cast our spells," Koume said, "And Ganondorf was stronger than us, yet he feared it. We dare not go near it."

"That black abyss of power would destroy us," Katoke said.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Link now has a way back to Termina in the form of his spirit beast, but things are looking grim as Nabooru finds out that the twin witches have been using something that even Ganondorf feared to supply them power. What lies in the Sacred Grove on Ordon that they fear so much?<strong>_

_**Don't forget to review please!**_


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